Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Country Director Antonio Querido has recommended that there’s urgent need for prioritisation of Peri-urban agriculture and forestation in the essence of creating cities that are more resilient in dealing with impacts of climate change as well as health related issues.
He further justified that city planning approaches of the kind are also key in Maintaining sustainable food systems as well as having more life supporting green spaces.
With only eight years left to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals, Querido said that there’s need for a fundamental change of mindset and re-modelling our cities’ planning approaches.
“Today cities consume almost 80 percent of the total energy produced in the world. They are responsible for 70 percent of global waste and account for about 70 percent of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.
As she Officiated the Green Cities Initiative and Action Plan engagement between FAO and Cities’ Authorities, Kampala Metropolitan Affairs Minister, Minsa Kabanda pledged government cooperation towards regreening selected cities of Kampala, Soroti and Mbale.
“In part, our NDP III is aimed at regreening the country and ensuring food production, We want to ensure that Cities don’t lose out, we have to plant trees that benefit the Cities like Oranges, promote hydroponic farming and ensure that drainage system is well worked on,” she said.
The engagement Plan as launched in September in Rome by the FAO Director General aims at helping transform agri-food systems, end hunger and improve nutrition in and around the cities in a post COVID-19 era.
Also in June 2021, FAO launched the Green Cities Regional Action Programme for Africa (GC-RAPA) as part of FAO Global Green Cities Initiatives.
“The main objective of the action plan and “FAO Green Cities Initiative” is to increase people’s wellbeing through better availability of and access to products and services provided by urban and peri‐urban forestry, agriculture and food systems,” Querido said.
However, For Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor, Doreen Nyanjura, authorities and political ideologic beings aught not to interfere the initiative with politics if it’s to be achieved for the well being of the people.
The Initiative aims at improving livelihoods and well-being of urban and peri-urban populations in at least 100 cities (15 metropolitan, 40 intermediary and 45 small cities) around the world in the next three years also looking at having 1000 cities join by 2030.
