Making the most of scarce resources : wastewater recovery and urban farming in the Middle East

Date

2003

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Evaluation Unit, IDRC, Ottawa, ON, CA

Abstract

Population growth, rapid urbanization, and the shortage of water have led to rising food insecurity in the Middle East and North Africa. People in the region address this complex of problems by encouraging urban agriculture and by using recycled water to feed it. In Jordan and other countries, city farms are irrigated with “greywater” drawn from showers, bathrooms, and sinks. This innovative response, supported by IDRC, has had a wide-ranging influence on public policy.

Description

This brief was prepared by Patrick Kavanagh based on a case study written by Eman Surani.

Keywords

URBAN AGRICULTURE, URBANIZATION, FOOD SECURITY, WATER REUSE, GOVERNMENT POLICY, WATER SHORTAGE, WATER MANAGEMENT, MIDDLE EAST

Citation

DOI