The Human-Centred Design of an Irrigation System for Small-scale Farmers in Johannesburg

Abstract

Small-scale agriculture has a vital role to play in the broader issue of food security. Land and water are two critical requirements for any farming, and with climate change, access to water is becoming even more of a concern. There is an ever-growing need to address the sustainable use of water for these farmers, especially in water-constrained urban areas. This design study was aimed at mitigating the irrigation issues that the farmers face, as mentioned above.

The lack of accessible, affordable, and contextually appropriate irrigation technology has been a barrier encountered by most small-scale farmers. Limitation of resources and the need for affordable tooling and manufacturing drive the demand for low-cost product development. The high cost of initial setup, maintenance, and training for correct equipment use often deters farmers from venturing out to seek solutions for their problems. This calls for contextually appropriate innovations that allow for adoption by farmers. Open-source forums and platforms were utilized to develop electrical and physical prototypes that monitored the farmers' water use patterns. The incorporation of new technological advancements enabled the development of appropriate technology that meets the intended users' requirements, in this case, the farmers.

Through a Human-Centered Design lens, the developmental process looked to pragmatism theories, research through the design, and appropriate technology to guide the study. This documented study is sectioned into the three phases of the Human-Centered Design. The hear phase analyzed existing literature framing the landscape of farming in South Africa; small-scale farming, in particular, concluding in the possible areas of problem mitigation. It then moved onto the Create stage, where the insights gained from the Hear chapter were implemented through extensive interviews and observations through inputs and participation from urban farmers to understand deeper problems that might be overlooked through a process of secondary research. This section also narrates the design.

The final phase is the Deliver phase which tackles the installation and review of the kit by farmers and documents the various iterative stages of the design process after initial feedback. The final solution was delivered in kit format, and further design refinements have been recommended for future research.

Date of Award	2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Johannesburg
Supervisor	Martin Bolton (Chief supervisor) & Angus Donald Campbell (Co-supervisor)