In the wake of numerous natural and man-made disasters around the world, there is an urgent need to prioritize resilience in community planning. Research efforts aimed at assessing the environmental impacts and resilience of the built environment, including exploring various intervention strategies for low to positive energy buildings and urban districts, are underway in many institutions. The Build Back Better initiative advocates for communities to rebuild beyond the pre-disaster state, emphasizing safety, sustainability, and resilience.
My intervention will delve into the concept of "Building Back Better" as a holistic approach to rebuilding communities following disaster events. Central to this approach is the adoption of circular economy principles in the built environment, which entails identifying sustainable alternative materials and enhancing cost competitiveness through supportive policies and regulations. The built environment, being a significant consumer of resources like cement, aluminum, steel, and plastic, is responsible for a substantial portion of industrial carbon emissions. Embracing circular economy principles in design and construction is vital for reducing these emissions and fostering resilience.
To achieve a transition to net-zero emissions, there must be a concerted effort to enhance the supply and accessibility of circular materials globally. Circular materials, including pre-used, low-carbon, recyclable, or recycled materials, play a crucial role in sustainable construction practices. Various benefits can be achieved, including cost reduction, reduced reliance on virgin materials, and decreased CO2 emissions. This intervention will shed light on the potential of waste materials to provide tailored properties for post-disaster reconstruction applications, challenging stereotypes about their mechanical properties and highlighting their contribution to sustainability and durability.
Citation
Khaddour, L. (2024, July). Building Back Better: Applying Circular Economy to Post-disaster Sustainable Reconstruction. Presented at ICATH2024, Italy
