Integrated assessment of ecological sustainability of urban and peri‑urban agricultural practices in Kolkata Metropolitan Area, India using Analytic Hierarchy Process

Urbanization presents multifaceted challenges to urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA), disrupting the ecological balance and food security in rapidly expanding metropolitan regions. The Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) of India exemplifies these challenges, with its UPA system being increasingly pressurized by urban sprawl and environmental degradation. Within the broader discourse on sustainable urban food systems, prioritizing the ecological integrity of UPA is critical for promoting community resilience. This study seeks to construct a robust framework based on appropriate criteria and indicators (C&I) to evaluate and enhance the ecological sustainability of UPA in KMA. It consisted of 6 criteria and 32 indicators for which a comprehensive database was prepared using several soil–water-plant health parameters and a structured questionnaire-based assessment of farmers’ perceptions on ecological composition of the UPA sites. The C&I were scored following the Analytic Hierarchy Process in a systematic and coherent manner and then merged together to construct a composite UPA ecological sustainability index (UPAESI). The results revealed that continuous urban-industrial expansion and land use conversion have jeopardized the existence of UPA here. Among the 34 UPA sites, only 17.64% recorded high ecological sustainability, while 61.76% and 20.59% of the sites showed moderate and low ecological sustainability, respectively. Wide spatial variations in UPAESI scores were observed owing to sector-specific stressors, whereas the northwestern sector of KMA exhibited the best ecological health. Cumulatively, the formulated C&I was conceived to be effective for periodic ecological assessment of UPA in KMA in the long run, thereby paving the way for judicious site-specific management interventions.