VULNERABILITY OF COMMUNITY GARDENS IN SINGAPORE: PLOUGHING THE GROUND

Abstract

Community gardens have excellent potential for the social and ecological betterment of cities. Understanding the factors that support and constrain community garden social-ecological system is necessary to address concerns related to their long-term viability, and position them as permanent and valuable assets in the development of a resilient urban community. This thesis analysed the vulnerability of ten community gardens in Singapore's residential estates using a framework that relates vulnerability to the resilience of the community garden and their exposure and sensitivity to potential perturbations. The research for this thesis involved plant species inventories and semi-structured interviews with community garden leaders to collect data on the biophysical and social characteristics of community gardens, and perturbations faced. This thesis found that the vulnerability of community gardens depended heavily on local circumstances. The main perturbations faced arose from social-institutional and human conditions rather than the biophysical factors, due to food-production being a non-essential objective. Resilience to perturbations emerged from the gardens' characteristics and the leaders' management of the circumstances. As vulnerability may be modified through behaviour and system changes, targeted government infrastructural support through leadership and management training is likely to prove valuable in the long-term continuity and success of community gardens in Singapore.