Sustainability Assessment in Social Housing Environments: An Inclusive Indicators Selection in Colombian Post-Pandemic Cities

The use of indicators for sustainability assessment in the urban planning process is a widely used approach. With the definition of the Agenda 2030 and the role of cities in achieving sustainable development goals, much work has been devoted to the definition of evaluation frameworks and indicators to assess policies and plans and support decision-making in the transition to sustainable urban environments. Therefore, there is currently a wide range of indicator frameworks for the sustainability assessment of human settlements. However, considering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the urban sustainability paradigm, the need to reassess the relevance of existing assessment frameworks in the post-pandemic context has been highlighted. Thus, this article aims to illustrate a selection of indicators to evaluate urban sustainability in developing countries’ post-pandemic contexts, using Colombia as a case study. This work comprises the characterization of the post-pandemic relevance of a set of sustainability indicators through the participation of stakeholders associated with the development process of social housing in urban environments in Colombia. Within a Delphi process, the initial indicators were taken from local and international sustainability frameworks validated before the pandemic. Further, a final selection was made through the evaluation of a survey from a sample of 45 stakeholders, and different participatory mechanisms with experts. These results acknowledged the relevance of factors, such as atmospheric conditions, risk management, the performance of public transport systems, and the availability and accessibility to key services, in the achievement of urban sustainability. These results will support the sustainability assessment of the development of post-pandemic recovery policies in Colombia and serve as a reference for other contexts in developing countries

Advances on the Implementation of Circular Economy Techniques in Rural Areas in Colombia under a Sustainable Development Framework

[EN] For the first time in the scientific literature, this research shows an analysis of the implementation of circular economy techniques under sustainable development framework in six municipalities with a depressed economy in Colombia. The analysis is based on solid waste data production at a local scale, the valuation of the waste for subsequent recycling, and the identification and quantification of the variables associated with the treatment and final disposal of waste, in accordance with the Colombian regulatory framework. Waste generation data are obtained considering three different scenarios, in which a comparison between the simulated values and those established in the management plans are compared. Important differences have been identified between the waste management programs of each municipality, specifically regarding the components of waste collection, transportation and disposal, participation of environmental reclaimers, and potential use of materials. These differences are fundamentally associated with the different administrative processes considered for each individual municipality. This research is a good starting point for the development of waste management models based on circular economy techniques, through the subsequent implementation of an office tool in depressed regions such as those studied.Rodrigo-Ilarri, J.; Vargas-Terranova, C.; Rodrigo-Clavero, M.; Bustos-Castro, P. (2021). Advances on the Implementation of Circular Economy Techniques in Rural Areas in Colombia under a Sustainable Development Framework. Sustainability. 13(7):1-21. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073816S121137J. Padilla, A., & Trujillo, J. C. (2018). Waste disposal and households’ heterogeneity. Identifying factors shaping attitudes towards source-separated recycling in Bogotá, Colombia. Waste Management, 74, 16-33. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2017.11.052Valenzuela‐Levi, N. (2020). Waste Political Settlements in Colombia and Chile: Power, Inequality and Informality in Recycling. Development and Change, 51(4), 1098-1122. doi:10.1111/dech.12591Borowski, P. F. (2021). Innovation strategy on the example of companies using bamboo. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 10(1). doi:10.1186/s13731-020-00144-2Khandelwal, H., Dhar, H., Thalla, A. K., & Kumar, S. (2019). Application of life cycle assessment in municipal solid waste management: A worldwide critical review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 209, 630-654. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.233Turcott Cervantes, D. E., López Martínez, A., Cuartas Hernández, M., & Lobo García de Cortázar, A. (2018). Using indicators as a tool to evaluate municipal solid waste management: A critical review. Waste Management, 80, 51-63. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2018.08.046Zhang, D. Q., Tan, S. K., & Gersberg, R. M. (2010). Municipal solid waste management in China: Status, problems and challenges. Journal of Environmental Management, 91(8), 1623-1633. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.03.012Kuehr, R. (2007). Towards a sustainable society: United Nations University’s Zero Emissions Approach. Journal of Cleaner Production, 15(13-14), 1198-1204. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2006.07.020Wagner, T., & Arnold, P. (2008). A new model for solid waste management: an analysis of the Nova Scotia MSW strategy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 16(4), 410-421. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2006.08.016Margallo, M., Ziegler-Rodriguez, K., Vázquez-Rowe, I., Aldaco, R., Irabien, Á., & Kahhat, R. (2019). Enhancing waste management strategies in Latin America under a holistic environmental assessment perspective: A review for policy support. Science of The Total Environment, 689, 1255-1275. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.393Cobo, S., Dominguez-Ramos, A., & Irabien, A. (2018). From linear to circular integrated waste management systems: A review of methodological approaches. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 135, 279-295. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.08.003Arena, U., & Di Gregorio, F. (2014). A waste management planning based on substance flow analysis. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 85, 54-66. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2013.05.008Żelaziński, T. (2021). Properties of Biocomposites from Rapeseed Meal, Fruit Pomace and Microcrystalline Cellulose Made by Press Pressing: Mechanical and Physicochemical Characteristics. Materials, 14(4), 890. doi:10.3390/ma14040890Laurent, A., Bakas, I., Clavreul, J., Bernstad, A., Niero, M., Gentil, E., … Christensen, T. H. (2014). Review of LCA studies of solid waste management systems – Part I: Lessons learned and perspectives. Waste Management, 34(3), 573-588. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2013.10.045Ferronato, N., Rada, E. C., Gorritty Portillo, M. A., Cioca, L. I., Ragazzi, M., & Torretta, V. (2019). Introduction of the circular economy within developing regions: A comparative analysis of advantages and opportunities for waste valorization. Journal of Environmental Management, 230, 366-378. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.09.095Vaccari, M., Torretta, V., & Collivignarelli, C. (2012). Effect of Improving Environmental Sustainability in Developing Countries by Upgrading Solid Waste Management Techniques: A Case Study. Sustainability, 4(11), 2852-2861. doi:10.3390/su4112852Zurbrügg, C., Caniato, M., & Vaccari, M. (2014). How Assessment Methods Can Support Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries—A Critical Review. Sustainability, 6(2), 545-570. doi:10.3390/su6020545Borowski, P. F. (2017). Environmental pollution as a threats to the ecology and development in Guinea Conakry. Ochrona Srodowiska i Zasobów Naturalnych, 28(4), 27-32. doi:10.1515/oszn-2017-0026Vaccari, M., Tudor, T., & Vinti, G. (2019). Characteristics of leachate from landfills and dumpsites in Asia, Africa and Latin America: an overview. Waste Management, 95, 416-431. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2019.06.032Idowu, I. A., Atherton, W., Hashim, K., Kot, P., Alkhaddar, R., Alo, B. I., & Shaw, A. (2019). An analyses of the status of landfill classification systems in developing countries: Sub Saharan Africa landfill experiences. Waste Management, 87, 761-771. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2019.03.011Wang, F., Cheng, Z., Reisner, A., & Liu, Y. (2018). Compliance with household solid waste management in rural villages in developing countries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 202, 293-298. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.08.135De S. Pereira, T., & Fernandino, G. (2019). Evaluation of solid waste management sustainability of a coastal municipality from northeastern Brazil. Ocean & Coastal Management, 179, 104839. doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2019.104839Costa, I. M., & Ferreira Dias, M. (2020). Evolution on the solid urban waste management in Brazil: A portrait of the Northeast Region. Energy Reports, 6, 878-884. doi:10.1016/j.egyr.2019.11.033Manfredi, S., & Christensen, T. H. (2009). Environmental assessment of solid waste landfilling technologies by means of LCA-modeling. Waste Management, 29(1), 32-43. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2008.02.021Guerrero, L. A., Maas, G., & Hogland, W. (2013). Solid waste management challenges for cities in developing countries. Waste Management, 33(1), 220-232. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2012.09.008Botello-Álvarez, J. E., Rivas-García, P., Fausto-Castro, L., Estrada-Baltazar, A., & Gomez-Gonzalez, R. (2018). Informal collection, recycling and export of valuable waste as transcendent factor in the municipal solid waste management: A Latin-American reality. Journal of Cleaner Production, 182, 485-495. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.065Aparcana, S. (2017). Approaches to formalization of the informal waste sector into municipal solid waste management systems in low- and middle-income countries: Review of barriers and success factors. Waste Management, 61, 593-607. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2016.12.028Wilson, D. C., Rodic, L., Scheinberg, A., Velis, C. A., & Alabaster, G. (2012). Comparative analysis of solid waste management in 20 cities. Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy, 30(3), 237-254. doi:10.1177/0734242x12437569Medina, M. (2000). Scavenger cooperatives in Asia and Latin America. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 31(1), 51-69. doi:10.1016/s0921-3449(00)00071-9Wilson, D. C., Velis, C., & Cheeseman, C. (2006). Role of informal sector recycling in waste management in developing countries. Habitat International, 30(4), 797-808. doi:10.1016/j.habitatint.2005.09.005Gutberlet, J. (2015). Cooperative urban mining in Brazil: Collective practices in selective household waste collection and recycling. Waste Management, 45, 22-31. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2015.06.023Anwar, S., Elagroudy, S., Abdel Razik, M., Gaber, A., Bong, C. P. C., & Ho, W. S. (2018). Optimization of solid waste management in rural villages of developing countries. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 20(3), 489-502. doi:10.1007/s10098-018-1485-7Patwa, A., Parde, D., Dohare, D., Vijay, R., & Kumar, R. (2020). Solid waste characterization and treatment technologies in rural areas: An Indian and international review. Environmental Technology & Innovation, 20, 101066. doi:10.1016/j.eti.2020.101066Elgie, A. R., Singh, S. J., & Telesford, J. N. (2021). You can’t manage what you can’t measure: The potential for circularity in Grenada’s waste management system. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 164, 105170. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105170Yıldız-Geyhan, E., Yılan, G., Altun-Çiftçioğlu, G. A., & Kadırgan, M. A. N. (2019). Environmental and social life cycle sustainability assessment of different packaging waste collection systems. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 143, 119-132. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.12.028Solano Meza, J. K., Orjuela Yepes, D., Rodrigo-Ilarri, J., & Cassiraga, E. (2019). Predictive analysis of urban waste generation for the city of Bogotá, Colombia, through the implementation of decision trees-based machine learning, support vector machines and artificial neural networks. Heliyon, 5(11), e02810. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02810Calderón Márquez, A. J., & Rutkowski, E. W. (2020). Waste management drivers towards a circular economy in the global south – The Colombian case. Waste Management, 110, 53-65. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2020.05.016Ezeah, C., Fazakerley, J. A., & Roberts, C. L. (2013). Emerging trends in informal sector recycling in developing and transition countries. Waste Management, 33(11), 2509-2519. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2013.06.020Hettiarachchi, H., Ryu, S., Caucci, S., & Silva, R. (2018). Municipal Solid Waste Management in Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues and Potential Solutions from the Governance Perspective. Recycling, 3(2), 19. doi:10.3390/recycling3020019Velis, C. (2017). Waste pickers in Global South: Informal recycling sector in a circular economy era. Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy, 35(4), 329-331. doi:10.1177/0734242x17702024Molano Camargo, F. (2019). El relleno sanitario Doña Juana en Bogotá: la producción política de un paisaje tóxico, 1988-2019. Historia Crítica, (74), 127-149. doi:10.7440/histcrit74.2019.06https://revistas.uexternado.edu.co/index.php/derest/article/view/4927Colorado-Lopera, H. A., & Echeverri-Lopera, G. I. (2020). The solid waste in Colombia analyzed via gross domestic product: towards a sustainable economy. Revista Facultad de Ingeniería Universidad de Antioquia, (96), 51-63. doi:10.17533/udea.redin.20191046Hernández-Berriel, M. del C., Aguilar-Virgen, Q., Taboada-González, P., Lima-Morra, R., … Eljaiek-Urzola, M. (2016). GENERACIÓN Y COMPOSICIÓN DE LOS RESIDUOS SÓLIDOS URBANOS EN AMÉRICA LATINA Y EL CARIBE. Revista Internacional de Contaminación Ambiental, 32(Residuos sólidos), 11-22. doi:10.20937/rica.2016.32.05.02Pardo Martínez, C. I., & Piña, W. A. (2016). Solid waste management in Bogotá: the role of recycling associations as investigated through SWOT analysis. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 19(3), 1067-1086. doi:10.1007/s10668-016-9782-

Banking on Nature's Assets: How Multilateral Development Banks Can Strengthen Development by Using Ecosystem Services

Outlines the benefits of integrating the management of ecosystem services and trade-offs into strategies to improve economic development outcomes, mitigate climate change effects, and reduce economic and human costs. Recommends tools and policy options

Encourage. Empowering People. Annual Report 2012

Peter Löscher, President of the Siemens Stiftung Board of Trustees, on behalf of the Board: Siemens Stiftung aims to contribute to positive changes in society with technical solutions, concrete concepts, and platforms for knowledge transfer. Cooperating with various stakeholders is a fundamental requirement for increasing the impact of its projects and anchoring them for the long term. For that reason, Siemens Stiftung seeks to cooperate with other foundations and non-governmental organizations as well as with government institutions, businesses, and the scientific community. Partnerships allow complementary approaches, skills, and resources to be bundled and sustainable programs to be developed. The previous fiscal year, in particular, delivers impressive examples of how such partnership models can increase the effectiveness of project work

A política de inclusão social, valoração e serviços ambientais da reciclagem em Bogotá, Colômbia

Introduction: The interrelations and interdependence taking place in an urban space, from the point of view of a social and ecological ecosystem, require joint and planned action in response to public policy. Methodology: Environmental economic valuation requires, first, an exploratory methodology to establish preferences of households, businesses and society in order to preserve the environmental services of recycling, and from this point of view, a description of the population or households to be chosen randomly throughout Bogota, Colombia is provided. Additionally, a Logit model is used for determining willingness to pay (wtp). Results: The contingent value survey allows to estimate the monetary value that population gives to recycling. This allows to estimate willingness to pay (wtp) for the environmental services of recycling, through a Logit model, considering social and economic variables. Conclusions: If the average estimated wtp is added, considering every home in Bogota, 2,395,244,880 million Colombian pesos would be collected, which represent an investment that translates into better income for recyclers in favor of a sustainable quality of life.Introducción: Las interrelaciones e interdependencia que se desarrolla en un espacio urbano desde el punto de vista de un ecosistema social y ecológico requieren de la acción conjunta y planificada en atención a las políticas públicas. Metodología:  La valoración económica ambiental requiere, en primer lugar, de una metodología exploratoria para establecer las preferencias de los hogares, empresas y sociedad por conservar los servicios ambientales del reciclaje y, desde este punto de vista, se hace una descripción de la población o los hogares que serán elegidos aleatoriamente en toda la ciudad de Bogotá, asimismo, se utiliza un modelo Logit para determinar la “disponibilidad a pagar” (DAP). Resultados: La metodología de valoración contingente permite estimar el valor monetario que la población le da al reciclaje. Lo cual permite estimar la disponibilidad a pagar – DAP- por lo servicios ambientales del reciclaje, mediante un modelo Logit, teniendo en cuenta variables sociales y económicas.Conclusiones:  Agregando la DAP promedio estimada,  con todos los hogares en Bogotá, se recaudarían 2.395.244.880 millones de pesos, los cuales constituyen una inversión que se traduce en mejor ingreso para los recicladores en favor de la calidad de vida sostenible. Introdução: as inter-relações e interdependência que são desenvolvidas num espaço urbano do ponto de vista de um ecossistema social e ecológico requerem da ação conjunta e planejada em atenção às políticas públicas. Metodologia: a valoração econômica ambiental exige, em primeiro lugar, uma metodologia exploratória que permita estabelecer as preferências dos lares, das empresas e da sociedade, com o objetivo de conservar os serviços ambientais da reciclagem e, dessa perspectiva, faz-se uma descrição da população ou dos lares que serão eleitos aleatoriamente em toda a cidade de Bogotá (Colômbia). Além disso, utiliza-se um modelo Logit a fim de determinar a disponibilidade a pagar (dap). Resultados: a metodologia de valoração contingente permite estimar o valor monetário que a população dá à reciclagem. Isso permite estimar a DaP pelos serviços ambientais da reciclagem mediante o modelo Logit que considera variáveis sociais e econômicas. Conclusões: se for adicionada a dap média estimada, com todos os lares em Bogotá, se arrecadariam co$ 2 395 244 880 milhões de pesos, que constituem um investimento que se traduz em melhor ingresso para os recicladores a favor da qualidade de vida sustentável

Rethinking Urban Risk And Adaptation: The Politics Of Vulnerability In Informal Urban Settlements

Informal urban settlements are increasingly recognised as vulnerable to climate-related risks. Their political-legal status is known to influence their vulnerability, but the linkages between state governance and vulnerability in this setting remain under-researched. In particular, as more urban governments develop climate risk assessments, questions arise about how risks are defined, the politics behind the processes of risk definition, and the impact this has on local-scale vulnerabilities. The thesis proposes a new conceptual direction for urban vulnerability research. First, it draws on livelihoods debates to highlight the embeddedness of the livelihoods pathways that shape vulnerability in social and political relations. Second, the thesis shows how the idea of co-production, developed in the context of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and public policy, can be used to investigate the state politics of risk assessment in informal, urban areas. This theoretical frame generates insights at the interface between development studies and STS, providing a new perspective on questions of how urban communities adapt in informal areas, who adapts and what they are adapting to. The conceptual propositions of the thesis are applied to a landslide risk management programme in three informal settlements in Bogota, Colombia. The thesis presents empirical findings that illustrate (i) how risk assessments are shaped by state cultures, values and practices particular to informal sites in ways that drive new forms of inclusion and exclusion; (ii) how inhabitants respond to risk in the context of socially-embedded meanings and identities and their relationships with the state; and (iii) how people’s agency to transform risks depends on fragile social and political relationships and the exercise of political agency. The thesis argues for a repoliticisation of approaches to understanding urban risk and adaptation, and for transformations in policy to reflect this approach

Scaling up circular economy initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean

This document analyses the possibility of scaling up the potential of the circular economy through financial instruments in Latin America and the Caribbean. It reviews progress in the circular economy in four business cases, selected based on priorities and representativeness for the Latin American and Caribbean region, and assesses the prospect of scaling them up using financial mechanisms and environmental, social and governance (ESG) schemes. The findings show that investment in circular economy business models has multiple benefits for companies, such as profitable operating margins and improved corporate reputation, thereby lowering the cost of debt and of financing circular economy projects. Various financial mechanisms are applied to scale up circular economy initiatives and circular economy indicators are aligned with broader ESG frameworks. To unlock the full potential of the circular economy in the region, new —and cheaper— financing alternatives should be considered. ESG funding has proven to be a reliable source of funding, even for circular economy projects, and has attracted the attention of investors the world over.Introduction .-- I. Dimensions involved in scaling up circular economy (CE) initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) .-- II. Finance mechanisms for scaling up circular economy (CE) initiatives .-- III. ESG frameworks and circular economy (CE) .-- IV. Case studies on scaling up circular economy (CE) initiatives .-- V. Recommendations for scaling circular economy (CE) initiatives in LAC .-- VI. Conclusions

Payment for Environmental Services: First Global Inventory of Schemes Provisioning Water for Cities

In the perspective of the World Water Day 2011 - "Water for Cities" (March 22, 2011), the Natural Resources Land and Water Division (NRL) of FAO has launched an inventory of environmental schemes provisioning water to cities. Up to date there have been several studies addressing the payment for watershed services around the world, conducted by various UN agencies, NGOs, etc. None of these studies so far has focused on the PES schemes providing the water supply for cities and industries, i.e. urban areas. In that sense this inventory is unique. The report offers a very useful inventory of identified PES - "water for cities" schemes around the world. The report can be used as basis for further pursuit of information and analysis of the most relevant cases at least, and possible replication of these cases, primarily in East Africa that has become an area of interest lately for the potential development of this market based scheme in order to address the water issues of the region

Using life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess the sustainability of urban wastewater treatment systems: a case study of the wastewater treatment technology of the Bogotá River

Se utilizaron Indicadores de Desarrollo Sostenible (IDS) con base en la metodología del Análisis de Ciclo de Vida (ACV) para evaluar la Planta de Tratamiento de Aguas Residuales PTAR El Salitre, ubicada en Bogotá, Colombia, en vez de la herramienta de Evaluación del Impacto Ambiental (EIA) más comúnmente empleada. Para comprender el impacto en el sentido de los múltiples efectos que cualquier sistema tecnológico tiene sobre los aspectos ambientales, económicos y socioculturales de los sistemas ecológicos, se desarrolló y aplicó un conjunto de cuatro categorías de IDS con el fin de investigar la sostenibilidad general de la PTAR El Salitre, a saber: funcional, ambiental, económica y sociocultural. Los datos utilizados fueron recogidos tanto en la línea de agua como en la de lodos, en el período 2004 a 2010, a través de la consulta de los registros suministrados por la administración de la PTAR. Los indicadores funcionales aplicados fueron: Eficacia, eficiencia, adaptabilidad, y el mantenimiento requerido. Los indicadores ambientales utilizados incluyeron la calidad del efluente, calidad de los lodos, emisiones de gases asociados al calentamiento global (CG), molestias y riesgos para la salud pública. Los costos de operación, mantenimiento, energía y los costos para el usuario por metro cúbico de agua residual tratada se utilizaron como indicadores económicos, mientras que la participación ciudadana, la estética, la estimulación de un comportamiento sostenible, y la participación de la comunidad evaluada por el número de visitas a la planta fueron los indicadores socio-culturales. Los resultados mostraron que la planta tiene un grado variable de sostenibilidad y que la capacidad de adaptación y las mejoras se pueden lograr mediante la adopción de mejores prácticas de manejo (MPM) en todas las cuatro dimensiones del desarrollo sostenible de acuerdo con las categorías de indicadores seleccionados. / Abstract. Sustainable development indicators (IDS) based on the methodology framework of life cycle Assessment (LCA) was used to assess the El Salitre wastewater treatment Plant (WWTP) in Bogota, Colombia, instead of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) most commonly used. Understand impact as the multiple effects that any technological system has on the environmental, economic and socio-ecological systems, a set of four categories of IDS were developed and applied in order to investigate the overall sustainability of the WWTP Salitre, which are, functional, environmental, economic and socio-cultural. The data used were collected from both the water and the sludge lines between 2004 and 2010 from the records supplied by the operator of the WWTP. The functional indicators applied were effectiveness, efficiency, flexibility, maintenance required, and reliability. The environmental indicators used to evaluate the plant‘s environmental performance included effluent quality, sludge quality, global warming potential (GWP) from gaseous emissions, nuisance and public health risk. Cost effectiveness (total, operational, maintenance and energy costs per volume of wastewater treated) and user cost were used as the economic indicators while aesthetics, public participation with regards to the stimulation of sustainable behavior by increasing the end-user's awareness, participation, and responsibility evaluated by number of visits to the plant, expertise (level of education) and labor required to operate plant were applied as the socio-cultural indicators. The results showed that the plant has a varying degree of sustainability and adaptability and improvements can be achieved by adopting appropriate best management practices (BMPs) in all the four dimensions of sustainable development in accordance with the selected indicator categories.Maestrí