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Urban gardening is not a new phenomenon but it has received considerably more practical and academic interest in recent years. Studies on economic aspects such as crop yields, inputs and outputs of production, productivity, gross margins and the contribution to home economics are rare, especially in Europe. While urban gardening plays an important role in the Global South, its role in Western Europe for food productivity and home economics is currently under-researched. The aim of this study is to analyse European urban gardeners' economic performance and self-sufficiency on a household level, as well as to reach a better understanding of their contribution to food self-provision and food security in the metropolitan areas. In a study carried out in 2014 with on-site personal and with online questionnaires participated 180 urban gardeners from three case study cities (Ljubljana, Milan, and London). Results from the economic analysis showed that although for most urban gardeners, profit is not their main motivation, the economic calculation shows that productivity in small urban plots can be comparable to market garden production. Urban gardeners are saving money, especially when, compared to retail prices for regular produce or organic produce, their input is included in the gross margin calculation. We conclude that, in the case-study cities, the self-provisional potential of urban gardeners' households to adequately cover the annual vegetable need of five-a-day servings can be met under three conditions: (1) sufficient garden size; (2) increased area productivity, and (3) sufficient labour-hour inputs. Urban food cultivation is generally associated with markets and farmers' markets, limited land space, a fierce contention for land, as well as a reliance on urban organic solid waste or water for soil efficiency (van Veenhuizen, 2006). It can also potentially use various agricultural inputs such as mineral fertilisers, plant-protection products, water (waste and fresh) and soils. However, institutional regulations and designation in city spatial plans are advised in order to avoid the potential risks of contamination of produce and drinking water resources (Mougeot, 2000).

The overexploitation and impairment of our freshwater resources require land management strategies that support the preservation of green and blue water flow and various ecosystem services. Historical landscape analysis and the influential driving factors of landscape development provide an essential basis for tackling current environmental questions in land and water management. Hence, this article investigates the influence of historical land use pattern on the hydrological processes and provision of blue and green water flow and storage for man and ecosystems under current climate conditions. Moreover, we discuss in how far these findings could be used to predict or optimise future land management options or as a reference for future land and water management. We used digitalized historical land use maps from 1787, 1827, 1940 and 1984 and a digital land use map of present situation from 2009 for our study areas, which are two small scale Slovenian catchments (Reka and Dragonja). The integrated river basin model soil and water assessment tool was used to simulate the land use change effects on blue and green water flow. The results showed for both catchments that the influence of land use change on total and green water quantity would be statistically insignificant but would have considerable effects on the seasonal flows. In the Reka catchment, historical situations indicate effects on spring and summer blue and green water flow due to a decreased percentage of forest and an increased percentage of grassland and vineyards in the past. Results for the Dragonja catchment indicate past shift from arable land use to forest as decrease in summer green water flow and increase in blue water flow. Possible effects are also increased levels of blue water flow and decreased levels of green water flow during the growing period of the year. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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The study aims to address the long‐term impacts of six different downscaled Regional Climate Models (RCM) climate models on the quantity (river flow) and quality (sediment load, total nitrogen load and total phosphorus load) state of surface waters in the river Reka catchment, in the northern Mediterranean. Mediterranean areas are – due to high population density, favourable natural conditions for agriculture, limited water resources, diverse ecosystems biodiversity and expected climate change impacts – a global hotspot in climate research. Additionally, the study area lies on the border with the alpine climate zone, with a strong orographic effect on weather patterns. The location, and a wide range of studied parameters, provides an interesting insight into how various emerging climate change models may impact the status of surface waters and procedures for the governance of water resources. The study contributes to the knowledge and understanding of the climate change impact on the local catchment level, using the ensemble of the RCMs. It opens discussion about the impact of RCM selection on modelling climate changes with catchment models like Soil and Water Assessment Tool. This article also questions the usability of the results for the policy and decision makers in relation to the implementation of the results into short or long‐term water strategies or water/river management plans. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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