Sustainable construction culture: an analysis of civil and state partnership in UMAOYA multi-purpose development project

Abstract

Rapid economic growth in Sri Lanka is demanding ever increasing need for sustainable solutions for social stability. After declaring the 2030 Agenda (Sustainable Development Goals) by the UNDP, state administered engineering interventions in Mega Development Projects tend to have a considerable concern on equilibrium among economic, environmental and social dimensions. Sustainability of construction is more often depended on its acceptance by the people who are supposed to utilize the constructions. If engineered constructions are unsuccessful to address the expectations of people, there will be some sever consequences on sustainability. The objective of this study is to investigate the problems of state administered development projects with special reference to social sustainability and civil-state partnership. And the study is conducted mainly through Case Study methodology with grounded theory background. Uma Oya Multi-purpose Development Project (UMDP) is selected as the Main Case to be studied. Apart from the construction investigations, 46 respondents were interviewed, who were selected by theoretical sampling. Collected data thus were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results show that some of the critical decisions assumed before the construction, became fallacious with catastrophic situations during the construction phase. And it’s identified that when the construction is going on, needs of some particular communities are compromised. Although the project is administered by a complex state intervened management, local level administrative authorities have no power so as to monitor the construction activities by conserving the expectations of communities. Since engineering interventions in development projects are not so familiar, people try to interrogate the construction process through civil resistance. However, social constituent of the sustainable construction is of vital importance, and there can be many contradictions between material aspect and peoples’ expectations of the project conducive to a Sustainable Built Environment.