抄録
Urban farming in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, has been progressively shaped by the politics of waste, predominantly through the informal use of effluent for irrigation. This systematic review brings together empirical and theoretical research on the political economy of sewer water usage in urban agriculture schemes with a focus on access, undercurrents of power, governance, and health–ecological trade-offs. Drawing on studies conducted in Lusaka and similar urban settings in the Global South, this review highlights patterns in how wastewater is accessed and disputed, how governance structures influence usage, and how growers circumnavigate related risks. Effluent is a vital survival resource; however, using it exposes growers and customers to health hazards that are ineffectively addressed by public health schemes and extension services. Governance responses continue to be disjointed with civic authorities, traditional leaders, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) adopting irregular or ad hoc approaches. Thus, effluent is both a livelihood enabler and a marker of marginalisation, exemplifying broader struggles over urban informality, environmental justice, and infrastructure politics. The findings provide a critical understanding of urban informality, ecological justice, and the sociopolitical life of infrastructure in African metropolitan areas.
