Building maintenance in the context of developing countries

This paper reviews literature about building maintenance in developing countries. A search of published sources revealed a disappointingly small and fragmented literature relating mostly to technical and managerial matters. These are presented in the paper under the headings: the effect of climate, design and materials choice, construction and maintenance personnel, managerial systems and financial systems. Few sources cover the economics of building maintenance and none discuss the important aspect of how building maintenance impacts on broader economic and development issues. The paper discusses building maintenance in the context of the six forms of capital usually encompassed in World Bank development projects (human, institutional, cultural, natural, physical, and financial) and as such contributes to the economic analysis of building maintenance. Several areas needing further research are noted.     

Developing of appropriate urban housing concepts in developing countries

The Modular Urban Housing Concept for Tanzania, MUHCT, is a practical example of the theoretical model which concentrates on ranges of activities in a logical and systematic way.     

Understanding differences in construction project governance between developed and developing countries

Whereas most experts recognize the substantial differences in the construction sector between developed and developing countries, very little is known about how and to what extent construction project governance actually differs between the two contexts. In order to shed light on these differences, a suitable definition of project governance must be adopted and identical variables must be assessed in developed and developing contexts. Three characteristics of temporary multi-organizations that conduct construction projects (used here as categories of analysis) help identify these differences: formal structuring, informal structuring, and the role and participation of stakeholders. Based on three case studies, a survey, and semi-directed interviews, significant differences are found in how power and authority are exercised (and leadership styles applied), in the use of informality and in the roles assumed by stakeholders. Although the analysis of such differences is often considered a diagnosis of problems to be ‘fixed’ in projects in developing countries, we believe that these differences should be read as project governance mechanisms of adaptation to different environmental conditions, and therefore key elements that need to be fully understood by professionals working in developing countries.     

A framework for the strategic development of the construction industry in developing countries

The authors explore construction industry problems in developing countries and the approaches that have been successful in Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs) and develop a framework for strategic development.     

The JIT materials management system in developing countries

The just‐in‐time (JIT) approach to materials management appears to be superior to a just‐in‐case (JIC) approach in terms of reducing cost and improving productivity under most circumstances encountered in industrialized countries. However, is it truly more advantageous than the more commonly used approaches in developing countries? Contractors in developing countries may be compelled to keep excessive inventory under some circumstances to help manage uncertainty in the supply chain and production process, high inflation rates, available discounts on prices of large amounts of materials, and price cuts in case of early purchasing. This study presents a comparison of the JIT and JIC materials management systems in terms of total cost of inventory by means of a simulation model that makes use of actual data obtained from an ongoing trade centre project in Istanbul, Turkey. The study suggests that had the JIT system been used in the project in Istanbul the total cost of inventory would have been 4.4% higher than the total cost of inventory in the JIC system currently used.     

Urban water demand management: prospects and challenges for the developing countries

As the traditional supply-driven urban water management is not sustainable, water utilities should embrace water demand management (WDM) measures to meet increasing water demand. Developed countries are using different technological and management measures to reduce urban water demand as a part of their integrated urban water management strategy. However, all these measures might not be directly applicable for the developing countries. Furthermore, the developing countries might not have access to the technologies and skilled manpower as well as institutional set-up to apply these measures properly. In this context, this paper reviews the different tools, techniques and measures of urban water demand management (UWDM) applied in the developed countries and critically analyses the prerequisites, prospects and constraints likely to be faced in developing countries in adopting these techniques and measures. Furthermore, it outlines a set of activities that will best help the developing countries in attaining the full benefit of UWDM.     

欧洲城市化对发展中国家卫生的影响及启示

首先正确定位发展中国家所处的情况,以四条标准量化他们所面对的问题,其次以政府、非政府的民间组织和每个个体作为解决此问题的切入点并借鉴19世纪工业化国家在相关方面的成功思路,针对我国当前公共卫生现状及相关政策等问题,提出了建议和展望,以期指导实践。     

Modelling the urban water chain: Incentives and cost recovery in wastewater treatment in developing countries

To improve surface water quality in developing countries new approaches to design wastewater treatment schemes have been developed. We identify a compliance problem in these schemes which threatens their success. To analyze this problem, we integrate a compliance game into a model of the urban water chain. We illustrate the model with a numerical example on small scale leather processing. We find that the compliance problem indeed threatens the overall success of the treatment scheme and show under which conditions this is so. With an empirical calibration our model is a ready to use tool to provide quantitative results that can inform planners of urban wastewater treatment schemes.     

Health and safety management in developing countries: a study of construction SMEs in Ghana

The construction industry plays a significant role in the economy of developing countries. The sector is, however, also one of the most hazardous with frequent accidents and health‐related problems. The health and safety practices of construction small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana are examined with a view to improving the health and safety performance of the sector. A survey questionnaire was administered to owner/managers of SMEs, with a response rate of 32% of the sampling frame. Few of the SMEs adopted proactive health and safety practices. However, health and safety practices identified as being particularly associated with firm characteristics were: accident investigation procedures; accident reporting procedures; use of health and safety posters; documentation of method statements; and health and safety inductions. The diversity of health and safety practices associated with different size categories of SMEs and constraints to improving health and safety are highlighted. A positive change is needed in the attitudes of owner/managers which takes into account size‐related constraints in order to improve the health and safety performance of Ghanaian SMEs.     

Decentralized wastewater system practices in developing countries: A systematic review

Decentralized wastewater systems (DWWSs) are an alternative to the ever-expanding sanitation problems in developing countries. This systematic review aims to identify the decentralized wastewater management system practices in developing countries. The PRISMA methodology and the archival research methods were used to identify papers published in the last 20 years through Scopus and Google Scholar. The results showed that about 45% of the studies conducted performance analyses of different types of decentralized wastewater systems, indicating a relatively average rate of practice and implementation of decentralization in various developing countries, even though there are constraints that hinder the adoption of the systems.     

Indoor air pollution in developing countries: recommendations for research

Available studies indicate that indoor air pollution (IAP) from household cooking and space heating apparently causes substantial ill-health in developing countries where the majority of households rely on solid fuels (coal or biomass as wood, crop residues, and dung), but there are many remaining uncertainties. To pin down impacts in order to effectively target interventions, research is particularly needed in three areas: (1) epidemiology: case-control studies for tuberculosis (TB) and cardiovascular disease in women and randomized intervention trials for childhood acute respiratory diseases and adverse pregnancy outcomes; (2) exposure assessment: techniques and equipment for inexpensive exposure assessment at large scale, including national level surveys; (3) interventions: engineering and dissemination approaches for improved stoves, fuels, ventilation, and behavior that reliably and economically reduce exposure. There are also important potential synergisms between efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and those to reduce health-damaging emissions from solid-fuel stoves. The substitution of biomass by coal being considered in some countries should be pursued with caution because of the known serious health effects of household coal use.     

Patterns of exits from housing in a homelessness system of care: the case of Calgary,Alberta

Public officials around the world seek to target subsidized housing as purposely and efficiently as possible. With limited availability of subsidized housing, it is helpful to know which household types require specific types of housing support and for how long. With this in mind, we undertake survival analysis and hazard models on clients placed into housing funded by the Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF) to characterize patterns of exit from Calgary’s homeless system of care. To do this, we use data from Calgary’s Homelessness Management Information System from 1 April 2012 until 31 March 2015. We find singles without dependents to require housing support for the longest period of time, while families require the support for the least amount of time. One important finding is that women require housing support for longer periods of time than men (even though we control for employment and income).     

The housing and economic development debate revisited: economic significance of housing in developing countries

Should housing improvement be part of economic development strategies? Must housing improvement wait until high-economic growth is attained? How much priority should be given to housing in view of the limited resources in less-developed countries? What are housing benefits in economic development vis-à-vis other economic investments? These questions have generated heated debates, both in the literature on development problems and in planning and practice in the 1950s and 1960s. This paper draws on the accumulated body of knowledge resulting from past experiences in research and policy to revisit the earlier debates, survey the main lines of argument and reassess the economic potential of housing. It then attempts to generate broad policy considerations. The main contention of this paper is that in light of past and present evidence, the housing sector needs to be given serious consideration in economic growth strategies.     

Human resource constraints for electricity regulation in developing countries: Developments since 2001

We provide strong evidence that there are significant human resource constraints which limit the scale and, hence, the scope and potential effectiveness of electricity/energy regulatory agencies in developing countries. We summarise the key findings in our earlier Domah, Pollitt and Stern paper (2002). We then consider what new evidence there is on regulatory staffing levels since 2001/2002 and on the implications of high fixed costs for developing countries' electricity and regulatory policies. Our conclusion is that little has changed over the intervening period.     

Water safety plans for piped urban supplies in developing countries: a case study from Kampala,Uganda

Full cost recovery is a major and complex issue that has gained high recognition in recent years. The Water Framework Directive promotes the idea that water charging should act as an incentive for the sustainable use of water resources. Thus, all Member States should take into consideration the principle of recovery of the total cost of water services, which includes environmental and resource costs as well. In order to evaluate various aspects of current water policy, to investigate the perspectives of water saving, to explore new approaches toward sustainable water management in the water supply sector and to evaluate water price elasticity, a survey has been performed recently in the city of Volos, concerning the residential sector. The influence of some selected variables is examined, residential water demand curve and water price elasticity are calculated. Estimations of future water demand under different pricing policies are also performed. Finally, the full water cost for the city of Volos is estimated and essential conclusions concerning water pricing and public participation are drawn.     

Competitive analysis of the Turkish brick industry—a case study for developing countries

The aim of this article was to examine the factors affecting the competition in brick industries in developing countries. Turkish brick industry was analysed as a case study within the frame of Porter's five forces model.     

Developing a green building assessment tool for developing countries – Case of Jordan

The purpose of this research is to contribute to a better understanding of the concept of green building assessment tool and its role for achieving sustainable development through developing an effective green building rating system for residential units in Jordan in terms of the dimensions through which sustainable development tools are being produced and according to the local context. Developing such system is becoming necessary in the Developing World because of the considerable environmental, social and economical problems. Jordan as one of these countries is in need for this system, especially with poor resources and inefficient use. Therefore, this research studied international green building assessment tools such as such as LEED, CASBEE, BREEAM, GBTool, and others. Then defined new assessment items respecting the local conditions of Jordan and discussed them with (60) various stakeholders; 50% of them were experts of sustainable development. After selecting the assessment items they were weighted using the AHP method. The outcome of the research was a suggested green building assessment tool (SABA Green Building Rating System) – computer based program – that suits the Jordanian context in terms of environmental, social and economical perspectives.     

(Re)conceptualising the boundaries between home and homelessness: the unheimlich

A burgeoning cross-disciplinary literature signifies a move towards diversifying understandings of the meanings of ‘home’. Homelessness is inextricably bound up in these definitions. While earlier work has considered meanings of homelessness, attempts to advance understandings of the relationship between home and homelessness have been sporadic. This article attempts to reinvigorate discussion around the home–homelessness relationship by problematizing the binaries in current understandings and poses a different way of theorizing the interplay between the two concepts. Drawing on interviews with women accessing homelessness services in the North of England, discussion interweaves women’s meanings of home and homelessness with the Freudian notion of the ‘unheimlich’. The ‘unheimlich’ captures the uncanny process of inversion whereby the familiar domestic sphere of the house turns into a frightening place; and a typical space of homelessness—the hostel—is considered home. The article seeks to contribute more adequate theoretical tools for future research to better understand and articulate the complexities of home and homelessness.     

Remittances and energy poverty: Fresh evidence from developing countries

A growing body of literature highlights the importance of access to energy for economic growth and its crucial role in achieving other sustainable development goals. Given that this branch of the literature is relatively new, the determinants of energy poverty have not yet been fully explored. This study takes a fresh look and contributes to the growing literature by providing one of the first studies of the effect of remittances on energy poverty in developing countries. We employed the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square and the Dynamic Ordinary Least Square. The results survive a battery of robustness checks, providing robust evidence supporting the claim that remittances reduce energy poverty in developing countries. Further analyses from the three-stage least squares estimator enable us to identify income inequality, economic growth, and education as some transmission channels through which remittances may reduce energy poverty. This study provides important implications in terms of policy recommendations.     

Assessing nutrient flows in septic tanks by eliciting expert judgement: a promising method in the context of developing countries

Simple models based on the physical and biochemical processes occurring in septic tanks, pit and urine diversion latrines were developed to determine the nutrient flows in these systems. Nitrogen and phosphorus separation in different output materials from these on-site sanitation installations were thus determined. Moreover, nutrient separation in septic tanks was also assessed through literature values and by eliciting expert judgement. Use of formal expert elicitation technique proved to be effective, particularly in the context of developing countries where data is often scarce but expert judgement readily available. In Vietnam, only 5-14% and 11-27% of the nitrogen and phosphorus input, respectively, are removed from septic tanks with the faecal sludge. The remaining fraction leaves the tank via the liquid effluent. Unlike septic tanks, urine diversion latrines allow to immobilize most of the nutrients either in form of stored urine or dehydrated faecal matter. These latrines thus contribute to reducing the nutrient load in the environment and lowering consumption of energy and non-renewable resources for fertiliser production.