Human Settlements Review - Parliamentary Monitoring Group

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Human Settlements Review, Volume 1, Number 1, 2010 b) Development Once enough information has been collected and evaluated, the development of materials, equipment, technologies, can commence to provide a basis for communities and small and medium scale entrepreneurs. This can be supported by adapting technologies and by networking with other institutions and partners. c) Consultancy services Once products have been researched and developed, consultancy services can be (and have been) provided by the HRDC, based on the experience gained and the available technology. This benefits individuals and communities, as the service is aimed at individual homebuilders (self-help); community facilities which can be built by communities (labour intensive projects); government projects, such as infrastructure provision or buildings. In general the HRDC offers the following services: consultancies relating to urban and rural development, housing, infrastructure, environmental issues, technology transfer, policy advice, and information services. d) Marketing: Two marketing strategies have to be considered once services and products are available: The first is product marketing, which aims at potential clients in the private and public sector, to make them aware what is available and what has been developed. The second is technology marketing, which targets entrepreneurs who can provide services and products to consumers. The HRDC was also intended to be the site for a permanent exhibition of building products and technologies to encourage the private sector to use the Centre’s marketing opportunity and to have products and technologies tested in Namibia. This was a request made by smaller companies during the inception phase. e) Skills Training: Another area is the provision of training facilities at the HRDC and in co-operation with an existing training institution, to enable people to learn or upgrade skills in six to eight week courses. To support the informal sector, village based industries could be promoted by giving trainees the opportunity to manufacture their own tools and equipment and to repair them, even if they are living and working in a remote rural area by utilising locally available resources. 3.2 Embodied energy The establishment of the HRDC was initially based on the fact that about 80% of building and construction materials were imported. It is a well-know fact that there are many resources in Namibia, which are not utilised. In 2002 the then Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing (MRLGH) supported the proposal to build a Centre, which will investigate and test alternative technologies, building materials and approaches. The latter included design and architecture with a focus on various types of energy inputs. This resulted in expanding the options to be considered, from available resources, e.g. clay and lime, to additional natural resources such as prosopis and local stone, to what is called waste. The latter included old tyres, building rubble, and metal drums. 18
Human Settlements Review, Volume 1, Number 1, 2010 The built environment has been more a part of the problem than the solution (Wines 2000:32). Architecture and environment are inextricably linked and their relationship is complex and multi-faceted (Jones 1998:15). The building of shelter, according to Wines (2000:9), consumes one-sixth of the world’s fresh water supply, one-quarter of its wood harvest, and two-fifth of its fossil fuels and manufacturing materials. Many resources on earth are regarded as finite, therefore, cannot be replenished. One of the most complex and problematic issues over the next century is how to construct a human habitat in harmony with nature (Wines, 2000:8). Even the most advanced designs are struggling with ways to integrate environmental technology, resource conservation, and aesthetic contents (Wines 2000:20). Conventional building materials shown in table 1 consume enormous amounts of energy - non-renewable energy, except when recycled. Holtzhausen (no date:2) clarifies two types of embodied energy: 1. Initial embodied energy and 2. Recurring embodied energy. The first includes energy that is non-renewable and is consumed in the process from acquiring the raw materials to the construction of the building. Recurring embodied energy is non-renewable energy required for the maintenance, repair, restoration, refurbishment or replacement of materials, components or systems during a building’s life span. There are associated environmental implications of embodied energy. They comprise resource depletion, the production of greenhouse gases, maintenance of biodiversity, and environmental degradation. One impact of building materials is related to embodied energy, which correlates with the amount of energy utilised to mine raw materials, transport them to a factory, manufacture a product, and transport the product to sellers and consumers. The Victoria University of Wellington (no date) shows some figures for selected materials: Table 1 - Embodied Energy Coefficients 19
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Human Settlements Review - Parliamentary Monitoring Group

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