Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Soil Protection and Recultivation, Brandenburg University of Technology, Konrad-Wachsmann-Alle 6, 03046 Cottbus, Germany
  • 2 Department of Geology, Faculty of Geography and Geoscience, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54296 Trier, Germany
  • 3 Center for Basic and Applied Research, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 50003 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
  • 4 Department of Economy, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 500 03 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
  • 5 Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Environmental Technology, Federal University of Technology, PMB 704, Akure 340252, Nigeria
Sensors (Basel), 2020 Oct 22;20(21).
PMID: 33105622 DOI: 10.3390/s20215977

Abstract

Attention has shifted to the development of villages in Europe and other parts of the world with the goal of combating rural-urban migration, and moving toward self-sufficiency in rural areas. This situation has birthed the smart village idea. Smart village initiatives such as those of the European Union is motivating global efforts aimed at improving the live and livelihood of rural dwellers. These initiatives are focused on improving agricultural productivity, among other things, since most of the food we eat are grown in rural areas around the world. Nevertheless, a major challenge faced by proponents of the smart village concept is how to provide a framework for the development of the term, so that this development is tailored towards sustainability. The current work examines the level of progress of climate smart agriculture, and tries to borrow from its ideals, to develop a framework for smart village development. Given the advances in technology, agricultural development that encompasses reduction of farming losses, optimization of agricultural processes for increased yield, as well as prevention, monitoring, and early detection of plant and animal diseases, has now embraced varieties of smart sensor technologies. The implication is that the studies and results generated around the concept of climate smart agriculture can be adopted in planning of villages, and transforming them into smart villages. Hence, we argue that for effective development of the smart village framework, smart agricultural techniques must be prioritized, viz-a-viz other developmental practicalities.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.