1,343 research outputs found
Design drivers for affordable and sustainable housing in developing countries
Current demand for housing worldwide has reached unprecedented levels due to factors such as human population growth, natural disasters and conflict. This is felt no more so than in developing countries which have experienced disproportionate levels of demand due to their innate vulnerability. Many current approaches to housing delivery in developing countries continue to utilize inappropriate construction methods and implementation procedures that are often problematic and unsustainable. As such affordability and sustainability are now vital considerations in the international development debate for housing the poor in
developing countries in order to meet the long term sustainable development goals and needs of housing inhabitants. This paper utilized an extensive scoping study to examine the various facets impacting on design decision making relative to sustainable and affordable housing delivery in developing country contexts. Aspects of affordability, sustainability, design decision making,
appropriate technology use, cultural awareness, as well as current barriers to affordable and sustainable construction in developing countries are examined in detail. Results highlighted the capability of indigenous knowledge, skills and materials as well as selected appropriate technology transfer and cultural awareness by foreign bodies can be utilized in innovative ways in addressing current housing needs in many developing country contexts
A dilemma of language: ââNatural disastersââ in academic literature
For decades sections of the academic community have been emphasizing that disasters are not natural. Nevertheless, politicians, the media, various international organizationsâand, more surprisingly, many established researchers working in disaster studiesâare still widely using the expression âânatural disaster.ââ We systematically analyzed the usage of the expression âânatural disasterââ by disaster studies researchers in 589 articles in six key aca- demic journals representative of disaster studies research, and found that authors are using the expression in three principal ways: (1) delineating natural and human-induced hazards; (2) using the expression to leverage popularity; and (3) critiquing the expression âânatural disaster.ââ We also identified vulnerability themes that illustrate the con- text of âânatural disasterââ usage. The implications of con- tinuing to use this expression, while explicitly researching human vulnerability, are wide-ranging, and we explore what this means for us and our peers. This study particu- larly aims to stimulate debate within the disaster studies research community and related fields as to whether the term âânatural disasterââ is really fit for purpose moving forward
âCritique is not a verbâ:is peer review stifling the dialogue in disaster scholarship?
Purpose: In this position piece, we will reflect on some of our recent experiences with the peer review process in disaster studies and show how debate can so easily be stifled. We write it as a plea for healthy academic argumentative discussion and intellectual dialogue that would help all of us to refine our ideas, respect othersâ ideas and learn from each other.Approach: We provide reflection on our own experiences. All the examples here are based on the anonymous (double-blinded) peer reviews that we have received in the past 2 years in response to papers submitted to disaster-related journals.Findings: We show that the grounds for rejection often have nothing to do with the rigour of the research but are instead based on someoneâs philosophy, beliefs, values or opinions that differ from that of the authors, and which undermine the peer-review process.Originality: There is so much potential in amicable and productive disagreements, which mean that we can talk together â and through this, we can learn. Yet the debate in its purest academic sense is a rare beast in disaster scholarship â largely because opposing views do not get published. We call for is that ideological judgement and self-interest are put aside alongside our pride when peersâ work is reviewed â and that intellectual critique is used in a productive way that would enhance rather than stifle scholarship.</div
Hydropower development and environmental impact assessments in Vietnam: current practice and shortcomings
Hydropower projects play an important role concerning national energy security in Vietnam; however, the boom in hydropower development in the last ten years had caused many negative impacts on the environment, fisheries, and peopleâs livelihoods at upstream and downstream river basins, revealing certain weaknesses the management of systems, processes and projects. The main objectives of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are to reduce environmental impact and to be a supporting tool for decision-making processes. However, this study finds that EIAs of small and medium scale hydropower projects in Vietnam did not assess thoroughly the important factors such as water balance changes, deforestation, aquatic production impacts, and cultural impacts on the indigenous population
Die Goldapotheke
DIE GOLDAPOTHEKE
Die Goldapotheke / Meding, Oskar (Public Domain) ( - )
Erster Band ( - )
Title page ( - )
I. ( - )
II. ([40])
III. ([76])
IV. ([109])
V. ([137])
VI. ([183])
VII. ([210])
VIII. ([234])
IX. ([259])
Advertising ( - )
Zweiter Band ( - )
Title page ( - )
X. ( - )
XI. ([30])
XII. ([55])
XIII. ([81])
XIV. ([102])
XV. ([131])
XVI. ([169])
XVII. ([211])
XVIII. ([225])
XIX. ([259])
XX. ([272])
Advertising ( - )
ColorChart ( -
In the Arena: Contesting Disaster Creation in Cities
Space is a feature of all disasters, and it is through decisions on how space is developed, used, and reproduced that disasters manifest themselves. Critical urban theory sees urban spaceâcitiesâas an arena of contestation expressed through the relationship between people, power, and the built environment. Cities allow for an unpacking of this process of contestation through the interpretation of various temporal, spatial, social, and physical elements that together create complex issues and âwicked problemsâ. In these urban spaces in all their complexity, disasters reveal both the worst injustices and inequalities present in a society. By drawing on three wellâknown casesâHurricane Katrina in 2010; the Haiti earthquake in 2010; and the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011âthis paper not only explores the opportunities that critical urban theory presents for gaining a deeper understanding of disaster risk creation, but also it encourages disaster scholars to engage with it
- âŠ