Urban AgricultureSUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

2 |

RISE-THU – who we are and what we do

RISE is a volunteer-based student association. Our main goal is outreach initiatives to rural and remote areas to promote environmental awareness and solutions, we focus mainly in two areas water and soil pollution. Currently we have created three projects: Biosand Filter, Sustainable agriculture, and Solid Waste Management. RISE empower students to participate in the development of sustainable solutions for real life problems in China. As a collaboration between local and international students, we exchange knowledge, ideas, and solutions. In short, our vision is to:

Share KnowledgeEmpower StudentsCreate Awareness

The organization runs three major projects:

1. BioSands Filter Project 2. Sustainable Agriculture Project3. Solid Wastes Management Project

RURAL INTERNATIONAL STUDENT EXCHANGE ASSOCIATION

3 |

Human activities (urbanization) creates many environmental problems that leads to soil degradation, soil infertility, and severe contamination of surface water.

4 |

Risk communication and public participation are essential in environmental education.

HUMAN ACTIVITIES, FOOD SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

Most of the pollution comes directly fromhousehold. The lack of environmentalawareness leads residents to dispose wastewater, and dump solid waste outside theirhouses which contaminate the surroundings.Lack of draining infrastructures in ruralcommunities leads the residents to disposehousehold waste from latrines, kitchen, andbathing into open drainage ditches, whichresulting as extensive environmental pollution,health risk and danger to the inhabitants.Farming practices near contaminated areascould result on animals and humanconsumption through food chain. Urban waste &

5 |

How Pesticides and Chemicals affects the soil food web.

SOIL QUALITY AND NUTRITION

Selenium deficiency and Keshan disease in China

Very low levels of nutrients in the soil could lead to

health issues. Keshan disease caused by Selenium-

deficient was reported in Heilongjiang province in

China affecting many children all due to selenium-

deficient in soil.

6 |

Aims of our workshops: Give Education and Awareness for a more enviroenmeltal Concious community

Urban Agriculture

Improve public awareness about the importance of food safety

• Food safety and sustainability• Solid waste management and

Relationship with your food

o Education of household gardening practices .

o Creation of knowledge sharing and support communities.

Solutions

UNDERSTANDING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOOD NUTRITION AND ENVIRONMENT

7 |

OUR ROLE IN THE ECOSYSTEM: HOW DOES AN ECOSYSTEM WORK?

Create and simulate ecosystems to understand human activities impact in it. (Aquaponics and LEDs)

Food is connected to environment and ecosystem. Thereforeenvironmental pollution is a direct link to food chain, soil, waterand air pollution impact on human health. Agricultural use ofcontaminated areas causes health problems if contaminants aretransferred to crops and livestock is incorporated into the foodchain resulting to health effects.

8 |

Urban Agriculture

DYI Workshop

1)Hands on (Adaptable designs for your home )

LED lights, vertical farming Personal Aquaponics

Movables garden Shelves

2) Presentation

How to make your own household compost. Learn waste characteristic

How to compost kitchen waste? We can recover the quality of the soil mixing using organic waste!!!

Objectives: Integrating new ideas , knwoledge, skill and technologies

9 | Urban Agriculture

Composting methods

Objectives: Integrating new ideas , knwoledge, skill and technologies

• Complete information of how to grow your own

vegetables, and what materials do you need.

• Display new techniques that general public can

easily replicate at home.

• Utilization of new technologies like LED lights,

aquaponics and vertical farming.

Farm zone #1 & Farm zone #2

Education Workshops

Waste sorting and management

Environmental impact of Agriculture and other

environmental issues and awareness programs.

Vegetables nutritional information. (The

power of label)

Exhibition Center #1

Spread ideas related to sustainability.

Solid waste management and Relationship with

your food

Activity Center #2

• Involve schools to workshops and trainings.

• Second hand Items exchange area.