Environmentally responsible selection and management of construction materials in disaster reconstruction

Abstract

Disaster reconstruction has become an important component in built environment planning in recent decades as the frequency, scale and intensity of both natural and manmade disasters are increasing globally. Despite the significant improvements in the disaster management sector, disaster recovery and reconstruction, especially in the developing world, faces challenges regarding efficiency and widespread social, economic and environmental impacts. The construction industry is typically engaged in a range of critical activities after a disaster, from provision of immediate temporary shelter to permanent reconstruction of public and private infrastructure. Therefore, sourcing, use and disposal of construction material is an important aspect of disaster reconstruction planning. On the one hand, massive resource shortfalls arise as a result of the new demand created by reconstruction needs, upsetting the markets and usual procurement practices of construction material. On the other, exponential increase of material extraction, transport and disposal can cause significant environmental and social impacts. This paper presents a framework in the form of a matrix which assists the ground-level decision-makers to select construction material in post-disaster reconstruction projects. This framework was developed considering material selection factors such as their relative importance in environmental sustainability, better practices in design, storage, use and disposal. The paper discusses this approach against three major cases of disaster reconstruction in the past decade: Post-Tsunami Reconstruction in Sri Lanka, Post-earthquake reconstruction in Haiti, and Typhoon Haiyan reconstruction in the Philippines.. The paper identifies the challenges that the construction industry faces in unexpected events and highlights better practices to enable efficient and sustainable recovery and a resilient built-environment.