Welcome to this week’s edition of the “Our Future Water” newsletter. Water resilience depends on how urban and agricultural landscapes are managed to protect water quality, regulate runoff, and sustain system performance under environmental stress. In both cities and catchments, natural and managed land systems can function as practical infrastructure when they are designed to support ecological processes alongside productive use. This edition explores that shared role through urban agriculture and low-input grassland as assets for resilience and sustainability.
Insights
Urban Agriculture as Green Infrastructure
Urban agriculture is increasingly being recognised as more than a food production activity within cities. When integrated into urban planning, it can also function as green infrastructure that supports water management, moderates heat, improves soil function, and strengthens local resilience. This moves urban agriculture beyond a narrow focus on food supply and positions it within wider strategies for sustainable urban development.
The value of this approach lies in its multifunctionality. Rooftop gardens, community plots, vertical farming systems, edible landscapes, and other forms of urban food production can help absorb rainfall, reduce runoff, improve infiltration, and contribute to healthier urban environments. At the same time, these systems can support local food access, community participation, and more productive use of underutilised space. Their contribution is strongest when they are planned as part of broader urban water, land use, and climate strategies.
This is reflected in how public agencies are beginning to support urban food production through targeted programmes and funding. Read the full article by Robert C. Brears to explore how the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources is supporting projects that expand urban-grown produce production, processing, and marketing.
Low-Input Grassland as Working Catchment Infrastructure
Low-input grassland plays an important role in managing agricultural landscapes in ways that support water resilience and environmental performance. Unlike intensive systems that rely heavily on fertilisers and other external inputs, low-input grassland can help reduce diffuse pollution, improve soil condition, support infiltration, and lower pressure on surrounding water bodies. This makes it an important land management approach within wider catchment and water protection strategies.
Its significance lies in how it supports ecological function while maintaining productive use of land. By reducing nutrient losses and limiting pressures associated with more intensive agricultural practices, low-input grassland can help protect rivers, lakes, and groundwater from degradation. It can also contribute to biodiversity, strengthen soil structure, and support more stable landscape performance over time. These functions are especially important where farming systems intersect with water quality objectives and long-term land stewardship goals.
This role is increasingly being recognised through policy and land management support. Read the full article by Robert C. Brears to explore how low-input grassland contributes to environmental protection, biodiversity, and more sustainable agricultural systems.
Key Takeaways
Urban agriculture and low-input grassland show that land systems can deliver far more than their primary productive function when they are managed with ecological performance in mind. In cities, this means integrating food production into green infrastructure strategies that also support water management and resilience. In agricultural landscapes, it means managing grasslands in ways that protect water resources and strengthen long-term environmental condition. Together, they show how natural and managed systems can serve as practical infrastructure for a more resilient future.
Circular Economy and Liveable Cities (Cambridge University Press)
The Circular Economy and Liveable Cities, edited by Robert C. Brears, Our Future Water, has been published. This essential guide delivers actionable strategies and best practices for implementing circular economy, climate resilience, and sustainability in urban environments, with global examples from leading cities like Tokyo, New York, and Singapore to help planners, policymakers, and researchers build liveable and sustainable cities for the future.
2nd Edition of Nature-Based Solutions to 21st Century Challenges (Routledge)
Fully revised and updated, the second edition of Nature-Based Solutions to 21st Century Challenges by Robert C. Brears offers a timely and systematic review of how working with nature can address today’s most pressing environmental and societal issues. Featuring new case studies from across the globe, expanded insights on public policy, AI, and community-led initiatives, this edition is essential reading for anyone shaping a sustainable future.
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📚 Shape the Future of Sustainability: Contribute to Springer Nature’s Landmark Publications
As Editor-in-Chief, Robert C. Brears invites experts, researchers, and practitioners to contribute to impactful and forward-thinking publications from Springer Nature. These comprehensive Handbooks and Encyclopedias explore Nature-Based Solutions, sustainable resource management, ecosystem well-being, and the global energy transition.
- Palgrave Handbook of Nature-Based Solutions
- Palgrave Encyclopedia of Sustainable Resources and Ecosystem Resilience
- Palgrave Handbook of Ecosystems and Human Well-Being
- Palgrave Handbook of Energy Transition and Renewable Energy
- Palgrave Handbook of Urban Climate and Disaster Resilience
- Palgrave Handbook of Social Transformations in Science, Innovation, and Education
📚 Shape the Future of Climate Resilience: Contribute to Palgrave’s Pivot Series
As Series Editor, Robert C. Brears invites experts to contribute to Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies, a leading Pivot series (25,000–50,000 words) exploring climate resilience, policy innovation, and sustainability strategies.
📩 For more details, visit: Seeking Authors — Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient Societies
📚 Explore the Full Book Collection on Sustainable Water Management Solutions
Strengthen global water security with practical knowledge from Our Future Water. This collection presents forward-looking strategies for managing water equitably, efficiently, and sustainably in a rapidly changing world.
🔎 Strategies for effective, equitable, and climate-resilient water use
💧 Tools spanning smart technologies, pricing models, and governance frameworks
📈 Solutions designed to support long-term water sustainability and innovation
Click here to explore the complete collection.
