Urban farming In hot desert & humid climates : A study on climate sensitive design for water harvesting and crop production

Abstract

Rapidly perishing resources are a reality experienced by millions of inhabitants in developing countries throughout the world. Insufficient infrastructure, inaccessibility and unfavourable geological and climatic conditions, have informed this research as a reaction towards the intensive mismanagement of water, a depleting natural resource prescribed to all living things. The thesis will explore the impact of scarce water reserves in societies that inhabit arid, and humid geological typologies in the world. Particular focus of the thesis will explore the impact of traditional (inefficient) water management strategies pertaining to the sustenance of livestock, and initiating domestic agricultural produce in the city of Gwader, Pakistan. The agriculture sector often bears the largest contribution to the local economy in most developing countries, it’s environmental footprint, and the consumption of natural resources remains at large growing. The relationship between growth in the agriculture sector, and the need for natural resources persist as the greatest challenge for developing and growing economies. Communities are limited to the existing resources accessible to them, ultimately disrupting the goal of attaining self-reliance and ensuring food security. Considering that the element of sufficient natural resources (water) is an essential catalyst for growth within the agriculture sector, specifically in unfavourable (arid and dry) conditions; has brought to light the significance of a self-reliant infrastructure resulting in Rural, Semi Urban, and Urban agriculture facilities that can contribute to the production of domestic produce. The proposed facilities will be presented as a feasibility study into the production of water, for crop and livestock feed in the urban and rural context of the growing demands of a rapidly developing city. The study will ultimately lead into a design-based approach, and propose a model facility that can be integrated within similar climates and regions of the world. The series of facilities will respond to the proposed expansion of the city, and the diverse population densities within the rural and urban developments. The centralisation of produce production within our cities has always incited the optimist into formulating progressive solutions, which integrate the greater community and address the diverse traditional and ethnic values of the inhabiting people. Translating the values and needs of the local Nomadic population in the region of Gwader, into an operational component within the Architectural solution, further challenges the diversification parameters not commonly associated with similar industrial and operation intensive facilities.