Integrating urban agriculture and forestry into climate change action plans: Lessons from Western Province, Sri Lanka and Rosario, Argentina

This report examines the integration of urban and peri-urban agriculture and forestry (UPAF) into climate change action plans, focusing on case studies from the Western Province of Sri Lanka and Rosario, Argentina. It argues that UPAF can address the 'triple challenge' of climate change mitigation, adaptation, and the provision of basic services like food security for vulnerable urban populations.

• Urban and peri-urban agriculture and forestry (UPAF) serve as strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation while providing development benefits. They reduce vulnerability for the urban poor by diversifying food sources and income, mitigate the urban heat island effect through shade and evapotranspiration, and manage storm water by increasing infiltration and keeping flood zones free from construction.
• In the Western Province of Sri Lanka, the government is using the rehabilitation of abandoned paddy lands in low-lying flood zones to reduce flood risks and increase local food production. A pilot project involving 47 farmers in Kesbewa put 17.4 ha of paddy fields back into cultivation, including 5.2 ha of fields abandoned for over 20 years, which increased farmer incomes through the use of salt-resistant paddy and vegetable production on raised bunds.
• A home gardening pilot project in Kesbewa, Sri Lanka, demonstrated that intensifying urban agriculture can reduce municipal waste and chemical fertilizer use. The project produced 60,200 kg of urban organic compost from household waste, which reduced the need for external fertilizers by 56.3% and diverted an equivalent amount of waste from landfills.
• In Rosario, Argentina, urban green areas significantly mitigate the urban heat island effect. Measurements from December 2013 showed that average temperatures in urban garden parks or streets with large tree vegetation were approximately 5°C lower than in the city centre.
• Local food production in Rosario, Argentina, can drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with food transport. A scenario study found that sourcing potatoes from the peri-urban Arroyo Seco region (30 km away) instead of the current average distance of 630 km would reduce CO2 emissions related to transport by 97%.
• Research in Rosario indicates that increasing urban agriculture and green areas can reduce storm water run-off. A future land-use scenario with increased green areas suggests a reduction in the run-off coefficient from 0.64 to 0.49, representing an approximately 20% decrease in run-off and a corresponding reduction in urban flooding risk.
• The involvement of subnational (provincial) governments is critical for scaling urban agriculture because they can manage land-use planning beyond municipal boundaries, facilitate financing, and develop the overarching policies necessary to support city-level strategies.
• To ensure the viability of small-scale urban home gardens, the report emphasizes the need for market linkages and business support. In the Kesbewa project, a business-oriented approach worked well for about 40% of households, particularly younger and more experienced farmers, while elderly participants primarily used gardens for consumption and social reasons.

APA

Dubbeling, M. (2015). Integrating urban agriculture and forestry into climate change action plans: Lessons from Western Province, Sri Lanka and Rosario, Argentina. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/SriLanka-Argentina-Background-Paper.pdf

Chicago

Dubbeling, Marielle. Integrating urban agriculture and forestry into climate change action plans: Lessons from Western Province, Sri Lanka and Rosario, Argentina. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2015. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/SriLanka-Argentina-Background-Paper.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dubbeling |first1=Marielle |title=Integrating urban agriculture and forestry into climate change action plans: Lessons from Western Province, Sri Lanka and Rosario, Argentina |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=January 2015 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/SriLanka-Argentina-Background-Paper.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dubbeling2015integrating, author = {Dubbeling, Marielle}, title = {{Integrating urban agriculture and forestry into climate change action plans: Lessons from Western Province, Sri Lanka and Rosario, Argentina}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2015}, month = jan, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/SriLanka-Argentina-Background-Paper.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }