Understanding the interdependency of resilience indicators in green building assessment tools in Sri Lanka: an application of swara method

Abstract

Sri Lanka is frequently subjected to disasters caused by adverse natural shocks and climatic stresses. Climate change which is accelerated by Green House Gases is a main cause behind the more frequent and intense disasters. Hence, the construction industry is now heading towards Green Buildings as one of the sustainable aspects. Since the involvement in the green building industry in Sri Lanka as well, it has emphasized the importance of incorporating disaster resilience indicators into Green Building Rating Tools (GBRTs) to ensure that green buildings can withstand adverse natural shocks and climatic stresses while maintaining their long-term survivability. There have been various disputes over the concepts “disaster resilience” and “sustainable development,” which have impeded implementation. Therefore, in this research, a multicriteria decision-making tool, the Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) method was used to identify the overall impact of the integration of disaster resilience indicators into a green building framework. It was intended to capture different perspectives of decision makers on each possible disaster resilience aspect that can be integrated into a GBRT related to the Sri Lankan context. The most suitable resilience indicators were selected from the GBRTs and related studies and used in the evaluation. They were assessed for their significance in enhancing disaster resilience as well as the sustainability of green buildings. The results have shown that risk avoidance related indicators can enhance the disaster resilience of the building while increasing the sustainability. Conversely, disaster resilience indicators like improved structural and architectural aspects, and excessive use of hazard-resilient and more robust materials can reduce the overall sustainability of a green building.