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Exploring Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Potential for Food Production in Urban Areas

Author

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  • Flavio Lupia

    (CREA—Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l‘Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, via Po 14, Roma 00198, Italy)

  • Valerio Baiocchi

    (DICEA—Sapienza Università di Roma, Via Eudossiana 18, Roma 00184, Italy)

  • Keti Lelo

    (CROMA, Università degli studi ‘Roma3’, Via Ostiense 139, Roma 00154, Italy)

  • Giuseppe Pulighe

    (CREA—Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l‘Analisi dell’Economia Agraria, via Po 14, Roma 00198, Italy)

Abstract

Homegrown fruits and vegetables are gaining popularity in many metropolitan areas with several facets connected to the wider urban agriculture phenomenon. At the same time, the relationship between urban food production and irrigation water is pivotal in terms of resource management. In this paper, we investigated water savings through the collection and use of harvestable rainwater from buildings’ rooftops to irrigate 2631 fruits and vegetables gardens in the urban area of Rome (Italy). The methodology makes use of existing geospatial data and data derived from satellite image classification to estimate food gardens’ irrigation requirements and harvestable rainwater from nearby buildings’ rooftops. The comparison of the annual harvestable rainwater with irrigation needs allowed for computing the proportion of water self-sufficient gardens as well as the amount of gardens whose water needs might be partially fulfilled with rainwater. Statistics were produced by land use type (horticulture, mixed crops, olive groves, orchards, and vineyards) and under the hypothesis that irrigation systems with low and high field application efficiency might be employed. We found that 19% and 33% of the gardens could be water self-sufficient for the low and high irrigation efficiency scenario, respectively. The remaining gardens, by using the available rainwater, could satisfy 22% (low efficiency) and 44% (high efficiency) of the water needs resulting in a reduction in the use of conventional water sources.

Suggested Citation

  • Flavio Lupia & Valerio Baiocchi & Keti Lelo & Giuseppe Pulighe, 2017. "Exploring Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Potential for Food Production in Urban Areas," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-17, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:7:y:2017:i:6:p:46-:d:99607
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Francis Rathinam & Sayak Khatua & Zeba Siddiqui & Manya Malik & Pallavi Duggal & Samantha Watson & Xavier Vollenweider, 2021. "Using big data for evaluating development outcomes: A systematic map," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(3), September.
    2. Martina Artmann & Katharina Sartison, 2018. "The Role of Urban Agriculture as a Nature-Based Solution: A Review for Developing a Systemic Assessment Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-32, June.
    3. Ahsen Maqsoom & Bilal Aslam & Sharjeel Ismail & Muhammad Jamaluddin Thaheem & Fahim Ullah & Hafiz Zahoor & Muhammad Ali Musarat & Nikolai Ivanovich Vatin, 2021. "Assessing Rainwater Harvesting Potential in Urban Areas: A Building Information Modelling (BIM) Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-21, November.
    4. Giuseppe Pulighe & Flavio Lupia, 2019. "Multitemporal Geospatial Evaluation of Urban Agriculture and (Non)-Sustainable Food Self-Provisioning in Milan, Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Benedetta Esposito & Maria Rosaria Sessa & Daniela Sica & Ornella Malandrino, 2020. "Towards Circular Economy in the Agri-Food Sector. A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-21, September.
    6. Angela Huang & Fi-John Chang, 2021. "Prospects for Rooftop Farming System Dynamics: An Action to Stimulate Water-Energy-Food Nexus Synergies toward Green Cities of Tomorrow," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-19, August.

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