The publication titled Practical guideline on the use of urine in crop production gives practical guidance on the use of urine in crop production as a vital component of sustainable crop production and sanitation systems. It also includes guidance on how to initiate activities that will facilitate the introduction of new fertilisers to the
agricultural community.
If human urine is properly collected and used for agriculture, it contributes to improved environmental sanitation in cities and reduces the costs of crop production. The innovation lies in the integration of agriculture, environment and sanitation sectors.
To better understand the linkage between sanitation and agriculture at municipal scale, a study was carried out that addressed the following research questions:
- How does a larger investment in flush toilets affect water quality and urban farmers?
- How much of the nutrient demand of urban farmers could be covered through waste composting?
Rapid urbanisation in developing countries intensifies the challenges of making sufficient food available for the increasing urban population, and managing the related waste flow. Unlike in rural communities, there is usually little or no return of food biomass and related nutrients into the food production process. Most waste ends up on landfills or pollutes the urban environment.
The disposal of waste presents an increasing challenge to the administrative bodies of megacities. The Municipal Corporation of the Indian city Pune has introduced source separation systems and onsite organic waste composting. The citizens concerned are looking for practical ways to treat their organic wastes and they have found city farming to be a viable solution.
A source of conflict between Israel and its neighbors for decades, the Jordan River is now depleted by drought, pollution, and overuse. Could the fight to save it forge a path toward peace?
The planet is a long way from dying of thirst. "It's inevitable that we'll solve our water problems," says Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute, a nonpartisan environmental think tank. "The trick is how much pain we can avoid on that path to where we want to be."
