Allotment gardening in Ljubljana
Principal Investigator at ZRC SAZU
Aleš Smrekar, PhD-
Original Title
Allotment gardening in the City Municipality of Ljubljana as a source of pollution in the ground, in processed food and in groundwater
Project Team
David Bole, PhD, Mateja Breg Valjavec, PhD, Bojan Erhartič, PhD, Drago Kladnik, PhD, Katarina Polajnar Horvat, PhD-
Duration
1 July 2006–30 June 2008 -
Lead Partner
Kmetijski inštitut Slovenije (Agricultural Institute of Slovenia)
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Project Leader
Andrej Simončič, Ph. D.
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Financial Source
Mestna občina Ljubljana
Partners
Javno podjetje Vodovod-Kanalizacija d. o. o.
Allotment gardening is a result of human's social and economic needs in urban areas. The waste made by pharmaceuticals made out of plants as well as heavy metals in produced food and groundwater pollution cause allotment gardening to be seen as source of risk for the population's health and for the environment. Allotment gardening has in the last decades uncontrollably spread throughout water protection areas in Ljubljana. Our goal is to mainly study the medical aspects, the planning and administrative aspects and environment-protection aspects. We studied the current literature and legislature, which refers to the studied areas in the City Municipality of Ljubljana and is necessary for the knowledge of the discussed topic. We made 300 surveys with allotment gardeners in 34 areas. We questioned from 6 to 9 gardeners in each area. The results of the survey were integrated into a digital database, within which statistical processing was made.
Allotment gardening is not only an economically interesting activity, but is also becoming a way of spending free time.
In some areas the unplanned allotment gardening extends to the immediate vicinity of water pumping stations.
Allotment areas in Ljubljana. (figure in high resolution)