As the world’s urban population continues to swell, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) today stressed on tapping rainwater harvesting in cities for urban agriculture.

“Within the next 20 years, 60 per cent of the world’s population will live in cities, with most urban expansion taking place in the developing world. Ensuring access to nutritious, affordable food for the poorer of these city-dwellers is emerging as a real challenge,” said Mr Alexander Mueller, FAO Assistant Director-General for Natural Resources.

Rainwater harvesting in cities holds great potential for urban agriculture, but is relatively untapped as of now, FAO said on its website.

Expanding city populations require increased water supplies for drinking, washing and cooking. And growth in urban and peri-urban agriculture also means a heightened demand for water for irrigation purposes.

Good agriculture and forestry practices can contribute to sound watershed management, safeguarding water catchment and reducing runoff and flooding in cities — ever more important as climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events, FAO said on its website.

Shortage of irrigation water in and around cities, combined with a heightened interest in urban farming, has highlighted the potential for water reuse in urban environment.

“Right now, farmers and cities are competing for water. Cities are using water, then putting it back out, polluting the environment. It would make so much more sense if more of the water used in the cities was then cleaned and reused in agriculture,” said Mr Javier Mateo-Sagasta, a specialist with FAO Water Unit.

FAO is working with its member countries to explore options for water reuse, while ensuring this water is carefully treated and managed in order to be safely and hygienically used to produce crops.

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