Anne Thebo, a PhD student in Environmental Engineering, was interviewed for an NPR story about her recently published research reporting that 60% of irrigated croplands fall within 20 km of cities, and 17% of croplands (irrigated and rained) fall within urban extents. Her research highlights the growing links between urban water management and food security.
The next stage of Thebo's work is to estimate the extent of urban croplands that are irrigated with untreated wastewater. This type of "de facto" reuse is a ubiquitous practice in many regions of the world given that most wastewater is not treated. She is also conducting field work in India to better understand the health risks associated with this practice. Thebo's advisor is Professor Kara Nelson.
See:
- 40 percent of the world's cropland is in or near cities (NPR, 11/12/14)
- Environmental Research Letters article.