Urban Vegetable Farmers’ Awareness on the Health Impacts of the Utilization of River Water for Vegetable Production and Environmental Protection Practices in Nefas Silk Lafto Subcity, Addis Ababa
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Date
2024-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The exponential growth of urban population size worldwide created a demand for sustainable solutions to address urban challenges such as food security, environmental pollution, and resource management. Urban river pollution poses significant health risks to vegetable farming. The contamination of rivers with pollutants from various sources negatively affects the quality and safety of vegetables leading to potential health hazards for both farmers and consumers. This particular study investigates the awareness level of urban vegetable farmers in Nefas Silk Lafto sub-city, Addis Ababa, regarding the health impacts of using polluted river water for irrigation and their implementation of environmental protection strategies. The study employed a survey research design. For data collection, structured questionnaires, interviews and field observations were used. In addition, secondary data sources such as books, articles, and legal documents were also reviewed. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study found critical gaps in urban vegetable farmers' awareness and mitigation of health risks from polluted river water irrigation. While 62% acknowledged the water was polluted, only 13.1% knew the specific risks. Most farmers (86.9%) had not noticed negative impacts on production, and none were employing risk mitigation measures, due to lack of access to alternative water and financial constraints. Though 77.4% knew of relevant regulations, only 60.6% believed there were sufficient government policies to address urban river pollution impacts. Paradoxically, the farmers expressed belief in existing policy guidelines, yet failed to implement sustainable environmental protection strategies. The researcher observed the river was highly polluted, but farmers continued to use it without treatment. The study found a significant knowledge gap among urban vegetable farmers regarding the health risks of using polluted water for irrigation, with the majority lacking awareness of these potential hazards. Farmers did not implement any mitigation measures, despite most not observing negative impacts on crop quality or yields. While many farmers were aware of environmental regulations, they did not effectively adopt sustainable practices due to barriers like limited access to alternative water sources and financial constraints. The recommendations call for improving farmer training and awareness, facilitating stakeholder collaboration, and providing support to enable the adoption of environmentally-friendly irrigation and water management approaches.
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farmer’s awareness, river pollution, mitigation strategies, environmental protection