COVID-19 Outbreak and Urban Green Space, Food Security, and Quality of Life: Case of Urban Home Gardens in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Abstract

The study was conceptualized to distinguish contribution of urban home gardening towards household food security and quality of life while making greener environment in urban area in the context of country wise curfew during COVID-19 pandemic and challenges arisen with it. Kandy municipal area was selected as study site and questionnaire surveys over prepared grid map and field observations were the principal data collection methods used in this study. Social and physical inputs for gardening as well as material and immaterial outcomes received through the gardening were considered as major parameters in data collection. It is notable that data collected concerning situation before and during the curfew period. Data feeding and analysis were supported through IBM SPSS Statistics 25 software. Social well-being and mental health was highlighted in all three satisfaction levels of high, moderate, and low and is more than that of 50% from the total recorded responses. Stress release, collective work, family harmonization, exercise, sharing and social cohesion, knowledge and experience, and healthy foods are the outcomes received in the aspect of social well-being and mental health. As they perceive, environmental quality has amended with the outcomes through greening, aesthetic beauty, land management and erosion control, waste management and clean environment. Also, urban dwellers have assured their economic status during the pandemic situation at least fulfilling one or two diets with homemade vegetable products. Still, social well-being and mental health could be prioritized among the benefits received through home gardening ; especially during the pandemic situation. Because, awareness and promotion to achieve desired harvest in the urban home gardening is chal-lengeable in the current context. Thus, those aspects should be address in the agricultural policy preparation without compromising livelihood of large scale farmers. So the crop specification for healthy diet can promote by con-186 Open Journal of Social Sciences tinuation of this home gardening trend with the experience of COVID-19 pandemic. Then only we can fear off during this kind of disastrous situation.