SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION: OVERCOMING IMPLEMENTATION FACTORS

ABSTRACT

Sustainability has become a more intrinsic issue considering that it concerns safeguarding the present while developing a system that procures for the future generation which has become of great international concern. Sustainable construction comes into play as result of the urgency to fabricate, produce a system that has little or no impact on the earth. Since the distinct activities of man has led to its depletion which on the other hand has resulted in climate change,a change which requires urgent attention.The building construction sector responsible for the production of certain gases which are responsible for this change,it simply means the built environment is more or less detrimental to the environment. This study is therefore aimed at identifying the various barriers that impair the implementation of sustainable construction principles. During the course of this, identifying the factors that impair implementation, the ways of overcoming them, the level of awareness of the stakeholders in the industry as well as the overall importance of sustainable construction will be the major objective. a total of 100 questionnaires were distributed 90 of which were returned, which has analysis using descriptive statistics. results shows that the stakeholders are aware of sustainability and its principles, majority of the respondents agreed strongly that Time, cost, market, technology, policy, people and polity are evident barriers to the successful implementation of sustainable construction in Minna and that The awareness, enactment of adequate legislative acts, provision of grants and incentives to suppliers and the entire consortium amongst others are ways of overcoming these barriers.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION

Sustainability refers to a “development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs (UN; 2008). Sustainability became a topical issue globally in 1907, when the world commission on environment and development (WCED) a commission formed by the general assembly of the united nations, submitted it report which it titled “our common future” by September 2000, the united nations (UN) adopted a system in pursuit of trying to preserve the benefits of the future generations to come. It came up with the millennium development goals (MDG’S). The purpose of the (MDG’S) were to promise human and socio-economic development in all countries of the united nation, As well as it was the duty promote human and socio economic growth in various nations of the world, the issues of hunger, poverty, provision of adequate and appropriate primary education, eradication of HIV/AIDS and other deadly diseases and also the duty of putting a stop to infant child mortality, empowerment of women amongst others. The relationship between the (UN’s) millennium development goals (MDG’s) and sustainable development is that, it is one of the duties of the (UN) to ensure that by the year 2015 a sustainable environment is assured. This further explains that while the present need of the plan is met, the future generation to come should also be put into greater consideration with little or no consequences. (Woolley, 2000)Asserted that, the building/construction industry is the major destroyer of man’s natural habitat.It is the major consumer of non-renewable resources, produces waste, pollutes air and water and enhances land dilapidation and abandonment. (Wallbaum and Buerkin, 2003).

Sustainable development is that development that tends towards a wonderful world of today without tempering with the ability of the future to be developed. In other words, what this means is that the primary goal of a sustainable development is to reduce humanity’s environment or ecological foot-print on the planet (Nwokoro and Onukwube, 2011). It is this sustainable development that gave rise to green building. Green buildings in its simplest definition are buildings that have minimal effect on the environment. This means that such buildings, on a minimal scale, have the least depletion of natural resources, green house gas emission, air pollution and waste production (Alsand, Gale and Edward, 2011).

Every sustainable/green building practice has five basic categories; energy saving, storm water runoffreduction, material consumption, land saving, pollution reduction (ECO northwest, 2001).In Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)countries, 20-40% of gas Injected into the atmosphere IS constituted by buildings, alsothe green building construction consumes 30% less of the entire energy consumed by the generalor regular building (Economist, 2004) .which suggest that the energy efficiency of the greenbuilding is improved, on the other hand, in a green building system, natural lightening is put intoconsiderations or the use of solar energy, less water is used both in construction and by the users of the building, rainwater harvesting system is installed in the building to use water wisely (Nwokoro and Onukwube, 2011)

1.1       GENERAL BACKGROUND

The need to build sustainably is now the general topic in the construction industry of everycountry. Sustainable development became a big issue all over the world as a result of the severe pressure leveled on the earth in the form of raising population and economic expansions(Alsanad, Gale, Edward, 2011). The building sector constitutes the major consumer of the worldphysical resources (Lam et al, 2009). According to United Nations environmental programme, over 30-40% of global green house gas production, 20% of water usage, 25-40% of energy consumption, 30-40% of solid waste generation has been traced to come from this sector (UNEP, 2007). Buildings generally are responsible for the depletion of natural resources, high energy consumption, and production of waste as well as the generation of global green house gases and finally, air pollution. This same sector deals on a wider scale the provision of shelter, increasing the standard of living, adding value to health and also list but a few, the provision of economic security both for the private and public sector (Alsand, gale, Edward, 2011).,If so much benefit can be obtained from the building sector and yet so much harm will be done at almost the same time, indeed, there is an urgent need to tackle the effect of buildings on the environment to achieve maximum comfort and also to maintain the welfare of the universe.

Approximately, 5% of the general energy generated is used during the construction stage,meanwhile a gross percentage of 45% is needed during completion to maintain and power the building. This goes a long way to say that the effect of the operational phase of buildings is devastating to the state of the environment (Okonji et al, 2007) .From the above, a deduction can be made concerning the use of 45% of energy during the operation phase, the facility manger whose duty comes into play at this phase has a key responsibility of providing a means of mitigating this problem by providing sustainable assets management in the environment (Elmualimet al, 2009).

While there is a growing need for buildings to be built sustainably, there area lot of barriers that need to be defeated. There are numerous obstacles to the implementation of sustainable construction with the main one being perceived cost. (Yami and Price, 2006). The Sustainable

Building Task Group, (SBTG, 2004). A group in established in England to help the government and industry achieve an improved sustainable and quality of building system, reported the various steps required toward achieving a sustainable built environment and a recognized code for sustainable buildings, further changes to the several methods of planning, further changes to building regulations, fiscal incentives for the users and owners of buildings as well as better information and skills systems. The stereotype surrounding sustainable buildings is such that, it is perceived that the cost of production is on the high side (Yami and Price, 2006). They increase initial cost by an average of 2 to 7% over the ordinary building cost, only some project can regain the net cost over a short period of time (Yami and price, 2006). Moving the thinking of the stakeholders from cost to value and from short-term to long-term, would be a better way to overcome common perception of sustainable building (Yami and Price, 2006).

1.2       STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Sustainable construction is the general term used when sustainable development principles are included in the construction industry. It is by now, no news that the climatic condition of our planet has changed as a result of various activities of man, which ranges from mining to the provision of shelter. The building sector is responsible for the production of gases, wastes, pollution, excessive use of certain resources which in reverse affects the environment (UNEP, 2007). This simply means that the built environment accounts for the detrimental impact on the environment which leads to the present climatic challenges (okinji 200). Until adequate and appropriate steps are taken in this direction to mitigate the effect of buildings on the environment we will be blinded by disasters yet to occur.

There is no doubt that Nigeria as a country is undergoing rapid urbanization which has resulted in certain socio-economic challenges, especially the degradation of certain urban areas, which exist in the form of biodiversity and green house warming, desertification, salinization of agricultural land, overcrowding or urban centers, slums, air and water pollution, environmental decay to mention but a few (Omisore 2003). These amongst other are the stumbling blocks to achieving a sustainable built environment, and until the needs of these challenges are met it will be difficult to achieve a sustainable built environment in the Nigeria society.

1.3       SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The increasing demand to build sustainably is by this time a call that enjoins both the government and citizens of every nation. The increasing activity of man leaves detrimental effect on the environment. Developers been lured away by the gains of building, are carried away by the adverse effect it leaves on the environment. The end users of buildings, (i.e tenants) are unaware of the deteriorative effect of the energy they use, waste they produce and air they pollute. Our ecological footprint is suffering. Our immediate environment is under siege as a result of our insatiable want to be comfortable regardless of the future generation to come.

Before much can be done to help correct the effect of the endless carbon elements depleted every day a giant step need to be taken to be aware of the challenges related to the subject and the various possible means available to checkmate them. Lack of incentive programmes, misuse of energy, improper waste management systems, and unaware stakeholders these are the various challenges faced during implementation of sustainable construction policies. This project work aims at finding to a large extent the possible factors that can help overcome these challenges.

1.4       AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to identify the various barriers impending the implementation of sustainable construction of Minna, Niger State with a view to establish a framework in overcoming them.

The specific objectives are:

1. To identify the various factors hindering the successful implementation of sustainable construction principles.
2. To determine the various ways of overcoming the obstacles of implementation of sustainable construction principles.
3. To examine the level of awareness of stakeholders in the construction industry.
4. To identify the importance of implementing sustainable principles.

1.5  Scope And Limitation

SCOPE

This main aim of this study is to identify the various barriers of sustainable construction and seek the possible ways they can be overcome. This entails sourcing for information from journals, private and public construction companies, the web, books, including the academia in Minna, Niger State

LIMITATION

The research work is limited to Minna, Niger State. The population also is another barrier to this research work, due to the size of the area.  Co-operation from both private and public construction company will hinder the proper assessment of certain aspects of this project work.

Another important factor of limitation is finance, which will, if available take care of the various aspects that require moving around to source for information, administer questionnaires and obtaining them back for the progress of this research work.

1.6       The Study Area

History

Minna, the capital of Niger State has had a lot of literature written about it and the people described the town as originally a Gwari town located in the middle belt of the country. The name Minna was derived from Gbagi (Gwari) ward “Min” and “Na” the word ‘Min’ means spread and Na’ means fire. The town was origininaly on the hill at sayako and (Ganuwa) walls both round it. Minna is basically a Gwari town and got its name from a ritual performed yearly by Gwari founder of the town to observe the beginning of the year. The word itself in Gwari means to spread fire in the area, even in all the kitchens in the town, on the last day of every year about three days to the last day of every year, the chief of the town together with his chief priest and some members of the traditional council will travel to Laifagi, the journey was usually calculated so that their return with the fire, falls on the last day of the old year. In the night of the year, the people of the town would gather to lay plenty of fire wood together and light it up with the new fire from Lafiyagi.

On the morning of New Year, everybody would then take fire out of the public fire to go and light it again in their respective home to mark the beginning of the New Year. This ceremony eventually become synonymous with the town and consequently gives it the present name Minna.

1.7 Location and Land Area:                                                                                     

Minna is located at latitude 9⁰ 37 north and longitude 60⁰ 33 east on geological base of undifferentiated basement of complex of mainly guises and magmatic rock. To north east of the town a more or less continuous steep outcrop of granite occurs limiting physical development in the direction. The area is bounded to the north by Shiroro local government area and about 230km away from the Federal capital territory Abuja in terms of land mass; Minna covers a land area of about 72.618km²

The town has been classified into an agglomeration of various ethnics group and Tribes like Nupe, Gwari, and Hausa etc from within and outside the state as urbanization has it influence, it has area coverage of 1000 hectares.

 1.8 Geography

Minna is connected to neighboring cities by road. Abuja, the Federal capital, is only 150 km away (2hours, 25 minutes). Minna is also connected by railway to both Kano (399km. 5 hours, 32 minutes) in the north and Ibadan (497km. 6 hours 37 minutes) and Lagos (632 km. 8 hours 24 minutes) in the south. The city also has an airport.

Fig 1:3: Location of Minna on Map of Nigeria In Relation To Major Towns in Nigeria

Source:   Niger State Ministry of Transport.

The People

The 2006 census provisional result that Minna municipal has an estimated population is 307,232 people with male recording 201,429 and females 105,803. The major indigenous tribe is Gwari though Nupe and Hausa languages are widely spoken in most part of the town. Minna is also having migrants making it heterogenic in its composition; they include Yoruba, Igbo’s, and other minority group. By cultural status qua Minna is governed by an emirate council with the emir of the people as the chairman.

  
Commercial Activity:

Commercial activities also form part of the day to day engagement of people as buying and selling is inevitable in the day to day pursuit of the basic necessities of life as evidence can be seen of corner shops and shopping complex along the streets of the town, motor parks, traffic terminals, petrol stations etc. Hotels accommodation and services are also located around the town to render lodging, food and recreational services to travelers.

Economy:

The main agricultural products of the city are cotton, guinea corn, and ginger. Some of other industries in Minna are gold mining, brewing, processing of Shea nut, cattle trading. And some of the important conventional industries of Minna include leather work, metalworking, and cloth weaving.