Urban Agriculture As A Tool For Urban Environmental Management: A Case Of Dodoma Municipality

ABSTRACT

This research is a study on urban agriculture as a tool for environmental management

in Dodoma Municipality. The general objective of the study is to investigate the real

and potential contributions of urban agriculture as a tool for urban environmental

management in Dodoma municipal area. The analysis of the study utilized both

primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected through a questionnaire

survey that covered104 farming households in four wards namely, Makulu, K/Ndege,

Miyuji and Kikuyu North. These wards are located in urban and peri-urban areas of

Dodoma Municipality. Secondary data were collected from sources include journals,

reports, articles, monograph and books, local government and municipal office

documents.

The study discusses the role of urban agriculture in connection with urban

environmental management and livelihood promotions like food security, income

generation and employment. An assessment was also made on the problems of urban

agriculture. An attempt was made to investigate the socio-economic and

demographic profile of the farming households. Accordingly, people in the middle

age groups comprising majority of women, with low level education and well

established migrants, and people from diverse occupation groups were the major

participants.

The findings of the study revealed that farming in town, be it livestock or crop

production, is often considered detrimental to the urban environment. Less well

known are the beneficial effects of farming for the urban environmental

management. It is also focuses on the role this sector plays in relation to two urban

environmental aspects, namely solid waste and liquid waste management. The sector

was found to be currently contributing to a better environment in various ways and,

potentially, the benefits could be even greater