| Résumé: |
Urban and peri-urban agriculture is considered a livelihood strategy for low-income groups in the Global South by providing food security and income generation for marginalized urban residents. In times of climate change, vulnerability and adaptation strategies of rural farmers to drought are wide- ly discussed topics. Despite the fact that the urban poor are considered to be particularly affected by the impacts of climate change, only few studies explore the urban farmers’ reactions to water- related risks.
This thesis thus investigates on whether the urban farmers are especially vulnerable to water scarcity or if they developed specific adaptation practices in the context of a water crisis that took place 2014/2015 in São Paulo, Brazil. Based on the Urban Political Ecology approach, this thesis focuses first on urban water supply for the urban farmers during the crisis. Afterwards, the vulnerability and adaptation concept is applied to analyze the farmers’ reaction to water stress.
The case of São Paulo reveals that urban farming is not only a livelihood strategy of the urban poor but also an activist activity for wealthier residents. The findings indicate that there are differences in vulnerabilities among the farmers despite their adaptation strategies to water scarcity.
This thesis argues that the strong connection between the development of urban farming and agro- ecology in the city of São Paulo may explain the high adaptive capacity of the farmers. However, there are further factors that determine their level of vulnerability such as their socio-economic ca- pabilities and their natural capital. For this reason, it is necessary to analyze urban agriculture and water scarcity not only concerning piped water but also including urban water bodies. |