SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Sustainable construction is about much more than the fabric of the built environment. Housing and the social, commercial and transport infrastructures around them must all be built in ways that are sustainable in environmental and economic terms. They must also be sustainable in social terms. They must add value to the quality of life for the individual and the community. Sustainable development is understood as an integrative and holistic process of maintaining a dynamic balance between the needs and demands of people for equity, prosperity and quality of life, and what is ecologically possible. This paper addresses the essential requirements for developing sustainable construction in developing countries including considering sustainability as a necessity, efficient management of resources, shared responsibility, quality improvement of construction processes and products, improving the capacity of construction sector, and the need for integrated research. The innovation of building materials and technologies as an opportunity of sustainable construction in developing countries is introduced. A tool for sustainable building is presented. 1