Razaksat, a high-resolution Malaysian remote-sensing satellite, was launched on 14 July 2009. It carries a medium-sized aperture camera (MAC) with one panchromatic and four multispectral bands, of 2.5 and 5 m spatial resolution, respectively. The satellite was placed in a near-equatorial orbit with a low inclination angle of 9° to enable an optimum 14 overpasses per day over the equatorial region (i.e. 9° N to 9° S) as compared to only three daily passes over Malaysia for near-polar orbiting satellites.

Urban agriculture is potentially an important element of land reform and economic development programmes in South Africa. The social value of urban agriculture, such as improving food security, developing a sense of community and promoting ecological conservation, is well documented. But in order to effectively contribute to development agendas, urban agriculture must also present viable, sustainable economic opportunities. This study sets forth vegetable box schemes as a context-appropriate, economically feasible urban agriculture enterprise for which there is growing consumer demand.

Soil contamination by heavy metals has become a widespread dangerous problem in many parts of the world, including the Mediterranean environments. This is closely related to the increase irrigation by waste waters, to the uncontrolled application of sewage sludge, industrial effluents, pesticides and fertilizers, to the rapid urbanization, to the atmospheric deposition of dust and aerosols, to the vehicular emissions and to many other negative human activities.