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Need Of Sustainable Housing Solutions For A Better Tomorrow | |
| Sumita Pawar |
Shelter is as important as food and clothing as the most immediate basic human needs. amidst planetary challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
According to the report, the world today also faces a double whammy of population growth (projected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030 and 9.8 billion by 2050) and surging demand for housing and commercial properties.
By 2030, 3 billion people will need new housing, and about 300 million new homes will be required, or roughly 21 million new homes per year. This staggering projection also means increased demand for construction and associated materials, including steel, aluminum, glass, bricks, and concrete—the second most used resource on the planet after water.
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It also leads to the depletion of already scarce natural resources, particularly soil and freshwater, and more energy demand, thus contributing to Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. Unfortunately, commercial and residential buildings worldwide are responsible for over one-third of energy use and energy-related GHG emissions. In particular, buildings are responsible for about 39 percent of global energy-related carbon emissions, which includes 28 percent from operational emissions from the energy needed to heat, cool, and power them, and 11 percent from construction and materials such as steel, cement, and glass.
Commenting on effective policymaking and sustainability-driven projects that offer solutions, the report stated that, looking at this alarming trend, the world needs to step up efforts to make real estate sustainable, especially in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), the world’s most water-scarce region and home to some of the hottest areas on the planet.
It entails rethinking construction materials and enacting more stringent regulations to ensure that the industry's entire life cycle has the least negative impact on our environment—from conception to construction, and from inhabiting to demolition and waste disposal.
More importantly, new, practical solutions must be found, scaled up, and brought to the attention of people all over the world.
As the report mentioned, one such platform was the World Government Summit 2023, hosted by Dubai this week. The summit brought together about 10,000 participants, including presidents, ministers, government officials, heads of international organisations and companies, thought leaders, global experts, and prominent business leaders who will share visions and discuss ideas and strategies for the future.
Keeping in view the importance of sustainability in the real estate sector, one of the summit’s key themes focused on global city design and sustainability. It served as a vital platform to discuss how governments can help create more sustainable cities as we face rapid urbanisation and how we can efficiently embrace sustainability-driven infrastructures while engaging communities and promoting clean energy and decarbonization.
"UAE paves the way for sustainable living," said the report.
It added that, thanks to the efforts of the UAE’s leadership, the country has been at the forefront of promoting sustainable living and setting examples through initiatives like the National Net Zero by 2050 Pathway and a nationwide plan to introduce new sustainability standards for buildings, roads, and homes to preserve resources and reduce the country’s carbon footprint. The plan aims to cut the energy requirements of buildings and homes by 25 percent and reduce water consumption by 16 percent. Also, the amount of energy and materials it takes to build roads would be cut by 45 percent.
In line with these efforts and as it gears up to host COP28, the country also declared 2023 the Year of Sustainability. It will focus more on environmental sustainability by inspiring collective action through a nationwide commitment towards sustainable practises this year and beyond, as highlighted in the report.
The report further reveals some sustainable cities; it states that, keeping up with these efforts, the UAE also ranks high in the number of buildings accredited by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and is creating an enabling environment for green investments and constructing eco-friendly buildings and sustainable cities in different emirates.
Sharjah Sustainable City is one such initiative, which is designed to reduce carbon emissions by using renewable energy sources, promoting green mobility, repurposing waste, and using sustainable construction materials. Besides utilising renewable energy sources, the city is equipped with a biogas plant to treat organic waste (food waste, green waste, and sludge) that will convert waste problems into a resource (electricity and/or thermal energy).
Moreover, the city also promotes community engagement and builds capacities through a number of programmes focused on green living and how we can together reduce our carbon and water footprints. It also promotes health and well-being, as well as sustainable agriculture and repurposing waste.
Predicting about the further report, a commenter said, "no doubt, the concept of sustainable cities is one of the most effective means to promote sustainable living in countries like the UAE as we speed up our efforts towards Net Zero ambitions."
However, there is still a long way to go before the concept is adopted more widely in other countries, especially in the Mena region. Due to its importance for economic growth, the construction sector is yet to grow further, as will its impact on our environment.
However, with visionary leadership and the harnessing of emerging talent and innovations, a sustainable world is already on the horizon, according to the report.