Page 14 - Shelter-April 2024
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THEME PAPER
making the planet earth safe, Buildings remain vital minimising waste generation
sustainable and qualitative for human growth and and promoting resource
accordingly has been accepted development besides central efficiency for making human
as the basic agenda and to all human activities. habitat more qualitative and
prime goal to be reached by Buildings are also known to livable.
all organisations, states and deeply impact the quality of
nations. Looking holistically, life for the reason that 80% of Implications of Built
there exist two distinct total human life is spent within environment
categories of environment on four walls of the buildings. Studies made and analysis
the planet earth, one created Modulating quality of life, carried out have revealed
by nature, called natural buildings are known to make that buildings remain
environment and other made human beings both healthy/ responsible for consuming
by human beings, called built sick, depending upon quality large resources, both natural
environment (buildings). of buildings in which they and man made, during its
Besides meeting the basic are living. As polluter of entire lifecycle, spanning
requirements of human living environment/ ecology and from conceptualising to
and working, buildings have generators of large carbon construction, occupation,
footprints, buildings remain
also been recognised as the operation, maintenance and
definer of human history, responsible for climate demolition. Studies made of
change, global warming and
growth and development.It modulators of sustainability. the lifecycle cost and energy
has been also accepted that used in buildings, have also
future journey of mankind Large consumption of concluded that only 10%
will also be defined by resources and generation of of total cost & 17% of total
buildings, which shall be waste has been attributed to energy, goes into making of a
created over a period of time the manner and approach building; whereas remaining
Rapid increase in population, by which buildings are 90% cost & 83% of energy,
higher level of urbanisation, being planned, designed, is used in the operation and
industrialisation and constructed, operated and maintenance of buildings
globalisation, led by changing maintained. over its entire life cycle.
mindset focussing on Making buildings sustainable According to World Energy
increasing prosperity, rising will hold the key for Council Report, 2016; buildings
consumerism, ever changing preserving, protecting and are known to be responsible
needs and demand for goods making value addition to for consuming ;
and services, the manmade resources, environment and
environment has been gaining ecology. Considering the • over 40% global use of
predominance over natural enormity of built space yet to energy,
environment. ‘India Urban be created and its implications, • 30% of raw material
Awakening: Building Inclusive as consumers of energy and extracted from earth,
Cities -Report’, has projected resources, buildings need
India, as a nation, will be to be planned, designed, • 25% of the timber harvested,
needing annually 700-900 constructed and operated • 16% of fresh water
million sq. mts. of built space with utmost care and caution, withdrawal,
(McKinsey Global Institute) to with focus on minimising
meet the basic needs of living energy conservation and • 35% of world’s CO2
and working in urban India. promoting sustainability; emission,
12 HUDCO-HSMI Publication
