Capacity gaps in post disaster construction & demolition waste management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the identification of the existing capacities of post disaster C&D waste management in developing countries, with a special emphasis on Sri Lanka to determine the capacity gaps and related influencing factors.

Design/methodology/approach – Multiple case studies and expert interviews were conducted to gather primary information on the existing capacities of disaster C&D waste management. Three case studies, including 15 individuals and six experts representing government, non-government institutions and others, were selected.

Findings – The results revealed the existing capacities, capacity gaps and influencing factors for post disaster C&D waste management in the areas of skills and confidence building, links and collaborations, continuity and sustainability, research and development, communication andcoordination, organisational implementation and investment in infrastructure.

Research limitations/implications – This study limited disaster C&D waste to debris generated from totally or partially damaged buildings and infrastructure as a direct impact of natural disasters orfrom demolished buildings and infrastructure at rehabilitation or at early recovery stages.

Originality/value – The research enabled an analysis of existing capacities and identified capacity gaps in post disaster C&D waste management with influencing factors developing countries.

Constructing a holistic approach to disaster risk reduction: the significance of focusing on vulnerability reduction

As a result of the increase in natural disaster losses, policy-makers, practitioners, and members of the research community around the world are seeking effective and efficient means of overcoming or minimising them. Although various theoretical constructs are beneficial to understanding the disaster phenomenon and the means of minimising losses, the disaster risk management process becomes less effective if theory and practice are set apart from one another. Consequently, this paper seeks to establish a relationship between two theoretical constructs, 'disaster risk reduction (DRR)' and 'vulnerability reduction', and to develop a holistic approach to DRR with particular reference to improving its applicability in practical settings. It is based on a literature review and on an overall understanding gained through two case studies of post-disaster infrastructure reconstruction projects in Sri Lanka and three expert interviews in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

Intercultural dialogue through design (iDiDe ): a model of intercultural collaboration and student engagement

Intercultural dialogue through design, globally known as “iDiDe” pronounced i-dee-dee) was initiated by an Australian university in 2011 or architecture and built environment disciplines. Set within the context of international education and internationalisation, which are the focus of Australian universities this century, iDiDe offers a model of intercultural collaboration and student engagement. iDiDe is more than a generic international study tour. Firstly, there is collaborative academic leadership that comes from institutional partnerships between Australia and five Asian nations (Malaysia, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka), secondly, intercultural dialogue and intercultural understanding underpin the pedagogical approach, and thirdly, iDiDe projects extend discipline specific learning into the realms of reality. This chapter is an expose of iDiDe. It seeks to determine what elements of the model contribute to intercultural collaboration and student engagement. Findings are evaluated for their impact upon participants. The potential for transformative learning and response to global citizenship are discussedalong with future research.