Embedding people and cities in the earth ecosystem

Shuichi Oyama

Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies

Around the world, cities and their populations continue to grow. While large amounts of food and energy are concentrated in cities, the waste is not effectively utilized. Meanwhile, land degradation is severe in the world’s breadbaskets, raising serious concerns about the sustainability of food production. Their soil becomes degraded as their crops are consumed, largely in cities. In other words, the existence of cities diverges from the natural cycle of the earth ecosystem. I am working in countries such as Republic of Niger in the Sahel region of West Africa, Zambia in Southern Africa, Djibouti in East Africa, and in Kyoto, Japan, to improve rural food production and restore degraded land using urban organic waste such as food scraps and sewage sludge. Through increased food production and environmental restoration, I am tackling regional issues, such as hunger, poverty, terrorism, and conflict, to build prosperous societies.