Community-based climate change adaptation in urban areas: Urban gardening as a methodology

The biggest ecological problem of our era, climate change has already started to alter the climate system of Earth and the problems resulted by these changes have a bearing on not just the environment and natural assets, but also social dynamics and economies. Cities are at the center of this global problem that threatens all aspects of life; they stand out both as spaces where greenhouse gas emissions are concentrated, and as spaces where the social, economic and environmental effects of climate change gravely affect social life. Likewise, while the agricultural activities also cause significant emissions and climate change, in return, affects agricultural production negatively, and increases the constraints on food safety. This study examines urban gardening in the nexus of climate change, city and agriculture and discusses whether these activities can be considered as a community-based adaptation for urbanized areas. This study, which reviews the agricultural activities and urban gardening in cities of developing and developed countries, shows these activities include aspects that can support cities to adapt to climate change and tackle the increasing risks on food security, as well as the urban gardening practices have a potential for significant emission reduction due to its components that shortens the distance between food production and consumption and supports sustainable agriculture. The study also reviews and analyses urban gardening activities in Istanbul and calculates that urban gardening can be implemented in an area of 7645,5 to 60071 ha. in Istanbul. These gardening activities can result in an annual 4,2 million to 33,3 million TL ecological function value, and between 51,3 million to 403,3 million TL agricultural production value. These activities also can lead to a greenhouse gas emission reduction of 2,7 to 21,3 million kg of CO2 through saving fertilizers. The study shows that urban gardening practices can be useful, emission reducing adaptation tool for urbanites of Istanbul that could increase the resilience and decrease social / economic impacts of the climate change on Istanbul's citizens.