Source: Batchelor, Charles. 1998. Growing in importance: vegetable gardening in the south. Waterlines 17:2-4.

Vegetable gardens help to sustain the food supply and supplement the incomes of families in the tropics. However, water availability often determines whether or not these gardens are possible. The two main types of irrigated gardens found in dry areas are those privately owned gardens and those owned by entire communities. If enough water is available, private gardens can be established. These gardens are watered by the household well or a natural water source. Community gardens are irrigated with water from public water points. The advantages of private gardens are that they are convenient for families, and only one or two people are needed in order for them to be efficient. However, when there is little water available, richer families in the area will often monopolize the water resource. In these instances community gardens can ensure that resources are distributed more equally. The author concludes that community gardens can also be beneficial in that they serve to bring people together so that they choose those agricultural methods that are most sustainable for the entire community. This group decision-making is also beneficial because funding from government agencies increasingly involves a greater percentage of community members when designing plans to manage water resources. These groups are working to involve local people since experience has shown that if locals are a part of the planning process, they are more likely to follow the policies that are enacted.

Abstract author: Diane Lloyd, 11 November 1999.

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