Abstract
Palestinian construction sector suffers from prolonged conflict and numerous restrictions imposed by Israeli occupation; international funds have been focusing on sustainability, but it is not achieved yet. The aim of this paper is to appraise reconstruction in war zones, taking Palestine as a case study, it will discuss the political situation and its impact on construction sector in Palestine, it also attempts to prioritise procedures and tasks involved in reconstruction, trying to set a suitable framework for sustainable construction and trigger sustainability out of war rubble.
Collecting information about sustainable construction in conflict zones is challenging, since valid data is difficult to find. The main data collection instruments are a literature review and a group discussion, with ten construction professionals in Palestine. The debate structure was founded on issues in the literature; data reliability was also supported by interviewing five Palestinian experts in construction and an authoritative figure on green building in Palestine. Participants agreed that issues described in literature are applicable in the context of Palestine. Accordingly, a list of consequences of how war affected the construction
industry in Palestine was agreed on, and how they hindered the development of sustainable construction. Methods both on private and public levels were discussed, which aim to create
buildings to last, by designing structures that could stand against strikes; thus, using destruction to reconstruct in the right way. Sustainable construction in Palestine should be focusing on high resilience buildings and providing affordable homes. Socio-economic development and planning are needed as post-conflict countries suffer from destruction, poverty and lack of access to basic needs. It is recommended to build stronger institutions
and municipal systems for cities to be able to anticipate, endure and rebound from crisis situations.
Collecting information about sustainable construction in conflict zones is challenging, since valid data is difficult to find. The main data collection instruments are a literature review and a group discussion, with ten construction professionals in Palestine. The debate structure was founded on issues in the literature; data reliability was also supported by interviewing five Palestinian experts in construction and an authoritative figure on green building in Palestine. Participants agreed that issues described in literature are applicable in the context of Palestine. Accordingly, a list of consequences of how war affected the construction
industry in Palestine was agreed on, and how they hindered the development of sustainable construction. Methods both on private and public levels were discussed, which aim to create
buildings to last, by designing structures that could stand against strikes; thus, using destruction to reconstruct in the right way. Sustainable construction in Palestine should be focusing on high resilience buildings and providing affordable homes. Socio-economic development and planning are needed as post-conflict countries suffer from destruction, poverty and lack of access to basic needs. It is recommended to build stronger institutions
and municipal systems for cities to be able to anticipate, endure and rebound from crisis situations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | 14th International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019: Contemporary and Future Directions in the Built Environment |
| Subtitle of host publication | Conference Proceedings |
| Publisher | University of Salford |
| Pages | 404-416 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781912337309 |
| Publication status | Published - 16 Dec 2019 |
| Event | 14th International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019: Contemporary and Future Directions in the Built Environment - Manchester, United Kingdom Duration: 16 Dec 2019 → 17 Dec 2019 Conference number: 14 |
Conference
| Conference | 14th International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | Manchester |
| Period | 16/12/19 → 17/12/19 |
Keywords
- Conflict zones
- construction
- Palestine
- Palestinian construction
- sustainable construction.
