Lecture 2

CE-422 Sustainable Development and Disaster Risk

Management

Instructor:
Dr. Shahid Ullah
shahid.ullah@uetpeshawar.edu.pk

Earthquake Engineering Center

Department of Civil Engineering, UET Peshawar.
 Course Outline
Week Weekly Lectures CLOs PLOs Remarks

1 Introduction to sustainability the Humanity and 1 7 To be taught from chapter 1 of the book
environment and its state; IPAT Equation; "Sustainability a comprehensive foundation"
Sustainability Challenges
2 Development of Public policy; Role of civil 1 7 Chapter 2 of "Sustainability a comprehensive
engineers in the society; Sustainability and Public foundation"
Policy; Environmental Risk Management Chapter 1 of "Sustainable Development in
Practice"

3 Definitions; Sustainable Development; Complex 1 7

engineering Problems. Introduction to the tools and
approaches for solving complex problems
4 Introduction to Systems Thinking and System 1 7
Dynamics as approach to deal with complexity and
uncertainty
5 Qualitative mapping and modeling of complex 2 7
problems on VENSIM (Systems Thinking Software)

6 Quantitative mapping and modeling of complex 2 7

problems on STELLA (System Dynamics Software)

7 Assigning Complex Engineering Problem to the 3 7

Students and Discussion
8 Presentations and Final Quiz
 Course Outline
Week Weekly Lectures CLOs PLOs Remarks

9 Overview of Disasters; Basic Disasters Concepts and Social 1 7

Contexts of Disasters
10 Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk (Probability and Statistics) 1 7
Concepts
11 A broad understanding of Disaster Risk Management, 1 7
including prevention / preparedness before Disasters and
recovery / reconstruction after Disasters.
12 Disaster Mitigation-Recovery policy and Disaster risk 2 7
management of national level with practical system and laws
13 Creation of Pakistan emergency management system 2 7

14 Introduction to risk management tools 1 7

15 Flood Risk Management 1 7

16 Earthquake Risk Management 1 7

Final Term Exam 1,2,3 7

 Learning Objectives

• What is Public Policy ( Definition and its Stakeholders)

• Formulation of Public Policy and its Implementation
Process ( Implementation Process)
• Public Policy Making in Pakistan ( Features Public
Policy in Pakistan)
• Role of Civil Engineers in the Society ( Role in
Sustainable Development)
• Environmental Risk Assessment
 Pakistan’s policy about SDG’s
• Policy has central role in implementing Sustainable Development
Agenda and We need Resources for the Implementation, Monitoring
and Legislation at Central and Provincial Levels.

• National SDGs Framework was launched in 2018 by government of

Pakistan to comply with Sustainable Development Goals in Pakistan.
• The task forces in the National and Provincial Parliaments have been
established to review progress and facilitate legislative support for their
implementation.
• Seven SDGs Support Units instituted at Federal and Provincial
Government levels facilitate vertical and horizontal coordination among
the stakeholders.
 Examples of Effective Public Policy
Making
• Sweden is not only one of the most economically prosperous
countries in the world, but also one of the most
socially equitable and environmentally sustainable ones.
• Finland has the most comprehensive, creative, and competent
educational institutions and teaching staffs.
• Denmark has the highest rate of investment in training and
skill rehabilitation programmes, which has resulted in a
low unemployment rate and a highly skilled labour force that
enjoy flexible working hours and job security.
• Norway’s taxation mechanism enforces sustainable use of
non-renewable natural resources, hence ensuring its long-
term wealth.
• These Nordic countries provide us with perfect examples of
how sustainable and equitable growth can be achieved by
employing a right set of public policies.
 Public Policy
Thomas Dye defines it as “Whatever governments choose to do or not to do” (1987)

“Public policy is a tool; an action, or a regulation, formulated by the governments to

address those societal problems which may appear in areas of education, politics,
transportation or any other vital sector of the state”.

Who makes Policies in Pakistan: ( https://www.dawn.com/news/1056309 ) formulating

public policy

“A policy could either be a part of an overall development policy and strategy of the
country i.e. Growth Strategy for Pakistan prepared by the Planning Commission or it could
be a specific document addressing a particular issue i.e. Food Security Policy, Poverty
Reduction Strategy, National Housing Policy, Climate Change Policy etc”

• The presence of never ending challenges and problems in every society is inevitable (
unavoidable). Therefore, Policy making is a dynamic and complex process

• Role of any government is to implement and promote such public policies that
contribute towards economic growth, sustainable development, and the improvement
of the socio-economic well-being of the local people.
 Development of Public Policy

• The Public Policy problems arise when there is a difference

between current state of affairs and the preferred state of
affairs.

• How can this state of affairs be changed?

• Problem has been identified and Government will start

thinking over its policy for revision.
 Example of Policy Making
(Road Congestion)

This Diagram is showing the Causal Loop Diagram highlighting, the problem of Road
Congestion for which Policy is required.
Please note that the process is working in a Loop denoted by the Capacity Expansion.
The arrows shown are the feedbacks or relationships between the variables
Example of Policy Making
(Road Congestion)

Note:
What is shown here is How
a simple problem is related
to Road Congestion is
Complex interconnected
with some many variables

Activity 1: Students to
explain the Figure and
Discuss it for Mass Transit
case.
They have explain the + and
– signs and accordingly to
their sense.
 Types of Public Policy
• The available public policy approaches for doing this are as follows:

• Decentralized policies
– Liability laws ( e.g., Civil and Criminal Laws
– Changes in property rights (the right to use the good, the right to earn
income from the good
, the right to transfer the good to others, alter it, abandon it, or destroy it )
– Primary Education, Health
• Command-and-control policies
– Standards ( Environmental Emission Standards)
• Market-based policies
– Taxes and subsidies ( Allow Industries to release wastes in the ecological
system and get huge taxes from them)
– Transferable discharge permits ( Allow them but ask them install the
treatment plants at small and growing industries
 Sources and Drivers of Policy
Formulation
• Need for formulating a new policy or replacing/amending an existing one
can arise out of any one or more of the following reasons;
• Regime change– New political elite coming into power invariably brings a
new agenda, a new vision and a new mission for which new policies are
needed
• Donors/world institutions-Aid given by these institutions may be
contingent upon certain policy changes, structural reforms
• Global commitments-State may have entered international conventions
which normally need local policy formulation
• Pressure groups-industrial ,agricultural lobbies, social causes advocacy
groups can force state for making policies for their own benefits
• Court Orders-Superior courts sometimes pass orders for formulating clear
policies or review an existing policy while hearing any case
• Societal structural changes-Demographic transition, economic
transformation, social re-engineering, globalization etc may necessitate
formulation of new policies to cope with the emerging challenges ( FATA)
 Power of a Good Policy: Why Public Policies Keep
Failing in Pakistan
https://cscr.pk/explore/themes/politics-governance/power-of-a-good-policy-why-public-policies-keep-
failing-in-pakistan/
Slides 13-17

It is often true that many good ideas set forth by governments struggle when
implemented because the challenges that a country faces are so complex and
interlinked (It is complex process).
It is quite often the case that in pursuance of one policy objective, one may
have to forego another objective.
For example, one of the greatest challenges in today’s world is that of
environmental degradation and global warming.
These problems are a result of mankind’s rampant pursuit of development and
economic growth. In the past, the possible long-term impacts of clearing up
forests and green land patches for setting up industries was not included in our
development policy calculus (i.e., Pakistan).
( Transferring Towards Sustainable Development)
“You have to slow down your growth” Main Objective is lost
 Power of a Good Policy: Why Public Policies Keep
Failing in Pakistan
• Failure to achieve the envisioned results puts high costs on
the economy in terms of not only wastage of time and
money, but also in terms of diminished public trust in
institutions and leaders. But as times are changing, it is
essential that policymakers view social development,
economic growth, equity and sustainability as one
interconnected goal.
• “A good public policy is, therefore, the one that identifies a
‘triple-win’ solution which considers economic, social, and
environmental gains altogether”.
• A good policy is also the one that solves problems without
causing political disagreements between parties and
encourages active citizenry.
 Power of a Good Policy: Why Public Policies Keep Failing
in Pakistan
• There is no sustainable mechanism or the commitment to implement and formulate
public policies in Pakistan. This has resulted from a lack of vision and leadership,
widespread corruption, and weak relationship between the community and institutions.
• It is common practice to question the intentions of government and development .The
excessive political interventions have destroyed the framework of policy making because
the policy process includes the involvement of state institutions, bureaucracy, specific
central and provincial agencies, and the political elites. Policies are determined through
political interests and motives; they are more ‘vote-oriented’ than they are ‘welfare-
oriented’.
• Policies in Pakistan fail due to poor governance caused by micro and mega level
corruption along with the curse of clientelism.

• The policy making process lacks proper planning and a complete cost-benefit analysis as
is evident from the ‘Metro Bus project’ in Islamabad. The project was executed with a
complete lack of consideration of environmental concerns, and without proper
consultations with the people that were likely to be affected by the project. The policy
making process completely ignored collective and societal interests which is likely to
have long term consequences.
 Power of a Good Policy: Why Public Policies Keep
Failing in Pakistan
• No matter how integral a certain policy is for the politicians, ultimately it is the local people
that have the most stake in it. Ironically, however, they are the ones who do not have any
role in policy making. Lack of public involvement in the process has resulted in the
emergence of demographic and information challenges in drafting development policies.

• The policy making process in Pakistan is also heavily dependent on foreign donors. Most
development projects are financed by agencies like the World Bank and International
Monetary Fund (IMF). And since the country faces weak policy implementation capacity,
these agencies dictate step by step project implementation resulting in a clash of priorities.
• In most cases, the problem does not occur because of the absence of a public policy rather, it
occurs because the initiatives constituted on paper are rarely ever put into practice. A policy
document remains a piece of paper until it is actually implemented. Hence, the policies fail in
Pakistan because the state lacks the leadership to operate on the public policy and translate
its political vision into action.
• Policies in Pakistan fail due to poor governance caused by micro and mega level corruption
along with the curse of clientelism.
 Power of a Good Policy: Why Public Policies Keep
Failing in Pakistan
• What's need to be Done in the Public Policy

1. Pakistan has enormous potential for achieving socially equitable and sustainable
growth. At present 64 per cent of the Pakistani population is under the age of 30,
which makes Pakistan one of the countries with the largest youth population in
the world, according to the new National Human Development Report. Yet, the
country ranks 154 among 183 countries in the Global Youth Development Index
and Report, 2017. The critical analysis of the current National Youth Policy shows
that it is not only insufficient and inefficient. The new generation can be game
changers for Pakistan if youth policies are efficiently implemented.
2. The current education policies in place to include a substantial budget increase for
schools and teacher salaries; increased accountability and transparency of the
institutions, improved infrastructure; raised quality of education; and introduction
of technical and skill education programmes can improve the socio-economic
prospects of the people of Pakistan. Being a strategically important country,
Pakistan can achieve so much growth and enjoy favorable relations with its
neighbours, by improving its foreign, and trade policies. Better health policies and
human resource policies can help ensure long term prevalence of skilled,
motivated and efficient labour force for the country.
Steps of public policy process
 Problem Identification: Getting Government to
See the Problem
• In the first step of public policy, the problem is identified and nature
of the problem is described along with its history. This process often
involves who is affected, how far public is aware of the issue whether
it is long term and short term policy. Whether altering public policy
can affect change.

• Answering to these questions may give range for which policy is

changed. No policy response is likely to be effective without clear
definition of issue.

• It is very essential that public issue need to be thoroughly deliberated

with identified actors and possible means that are available.
Policy Formulation: Getting Government to Consider
Solutions
• After the problem is identified, the next step is the
formulation of policy to resolve the particular identified
problem.
• This step of public policy is usually marked by
discussions and debates between government officials,
interest groups or individual citizens, as to how best to
address the related issue or problem.
• The general purpose of this step is to set clear goals and
list the steps to achieve them. The formulation step often
includes discussions of alternatives, solutions, potential
obstacles and how to measure the effects of policy
changes. The development of public policy proposal
usually come from interest group, government staff and
committees of think tanks. After having an in-depth
discussion on alternatives solutions and potential, the
policy is formulated.
 Policy Adoption: Getting Government
to Adopt a Solution
• In order for a policy to be adopted, a majority coalition that
supports the alternative must be constructed.
• This depends on the official actors involved, as well as their
beliefs, intentions, etc.
• Adoption will be influenced by basic cultural values such
as democracy, freedom, humanitarianism, and material
success.
• Values are guides for evaluating the desirability of goals or
action.
 Policy Implementation: Getting Government to Apply the
Solution to the Problem
• In this steps, the defining agencies and organizations are
involved, and responsibilities are assigned to each agency
on their part.
• This stage requires close communication and
coordination between the involved agencies, sufficient
funds and staff to carry out the tasks and overall
compliance to the new approach for achieving the desired
objectives of the public policy. In this stage, the
departments and agencies are usually responsible for
implementing public policy .
 Policy Evaluation: Did It Work?
• In this step the policy is evaluated to know that how it
is working after the policy is implemented, it is very
essential to evaluate after the implementation that how
far it has been able to resolve the problem of the
society and whether the selected policy is implemented
properly to achieve targeted policy objectives.
• There are various type of evaluation methods are
employed for the assessment of policy such as cost
benefit analysis, economic impact and developing
forecasting. This part of the process is generally
implemented through a co-operative effort between
policy manager and independent evaluation.
• Furthermore, the impact of policy is also evaluated to
get know overall effect of that policy.
 Key Causes of failure of public policies in
Pakistan
• The history of public policy making practice in Pakistan has revealed
that, it has never been adopted proper process for making public policy.
The public policies have always been introduced without consensus of
public and seeking necessary information on the ground. To develop a
sustainable policy, it is very pertinent that there must be a participation of
policy stakeholders.
• There is really dire need of strengthening the informational base to
improve policy frameworks in developing countries like Pakistan. The
lack of reliable information hampers policy makers’ ability to devise
clear policy goals, implementation plans and evaluation mechanisms.
The good policy always failed to provide the productive result when it is
being developed without seeking required information and participation
of policy stakeholders
 Leadership Commitment
• In democratic system of the country, the political leadership
plays a vital role in developing a viable public policy for the
benefit of the people but unfortunately, incompetence’s of
political leadership and their vested personal interests has
presented the public policy process as one man show it
Pakistan.
• The policy making is mainly the job of elected legislatures to
the national and provincial assemblies. Unfortunately, in case
of Pakistan 90% of parliamentarians are not well educated to
have vision of solution of problems and possesses less
understanding in adopting the proper process of policy
making. There is a big problem of commitment in political
leadership and lack of vision in Ministers of related
ministries. The successful formulation and implementation of
policy critically depends on the consistent support from the
top political and also bureaucratic leadership.
 Governance Structure
• The most critical problem in the government structure
is that of centralization in decision making. The timely
decisions plays very important role in formulation and
implementation of public policies. The policies are
formulated in the capital within controlled consultation
throughout the concerned stakeholders. Because of
this centralization, policy often fails to take
refinements associated with initiatives from grassroots
level. Such distance on the behalf of policy makers by
practice not only cause policy managers failure, but
also creates the disharmony among other elements of
your same policy. Thailand’s experience of policy
making process throughout planning phase is actually
the strong reason to the successful policy
implementation
 Contd.
• In the case of Pakistan, there have been many instances through
which governments have failed to get required political support
needed for sustained policy initiatives. Each new government
discontinued most programs associated with the previous
Governments. It has been that elected representatives are not
committed to address the public issues within their constituencies
through development programs. Instead they are rewarding their
favorites’ by posting them to the needed locations and allocating
lucrative contracts. Majority of elected representatives are
adopting this kind of tendencies to thwart the process of solving
public issues.
• Due to political instability in the country, the parliamentarians are
always unsure about their tenure, therefor they are mostly
preoccupied in strengthening their opportunities for being re-
elected. Because of these types of reasons, parliamentarians
employ their political patronage ineffectively which causes
serious harm towards the goals of development projects such as
societal action programs. This lack of commitment amongst
political leadership largely effects the successful formulation and
implementation of public policies
 Scarcity of Resources
• The financial, technical and human resources plays critical role in
formulation and implementation of public policy. The successful
implementation of the policy require the proper availability these
resource at the every step of public policy process. In case of Pakistan,
the country has always has been in short of financial resources to
implement the public welfare projects and there is no proper utilization
of resources in any sphere of development or policy making process.
Due to the corruption and inefficiency of government functionaries, the
available resources are always mismanaged and underutilized. The
injustice taxation policy is the main reason of shortages of financial
resources in the country. Since the inception of Pakistan, government
has failed to implement a viable taxation policy where every citizen
irrespective of their positions and political influences should pay the
required taxes and evaders liable to be punished according to the law.
Due to this reason, the budget formulation history of the country has
depicted that most of the presented budgets had been in deficit. It is
prudent that there must be sufficient resources for the successful
formulation and implementation of public policies to obtain the desired
objectives.
 Role of Civil Engineers
• Civil Engineers can play a very important role in the Sustainable
Development by designing energy efficient environmental
friendly Projects acceptable to all the Stakeholders. The role of
Engineers is of Honest Broker ( Mediate between different
Stakeholders e.g., economist, biologist, social scientist)

• Improved Life Cycle Performance of Structures

• Specify salvaged and Recycled Material
• Re-use waste Material
• Use Alternative Material
Cont.
 Role of Civil Engineers in Sustainable
Development
POLICY STATEMENT 418- ASCE
• The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) defines sustainability as a set of economic,
environmental and social conditions (aka "The Triple Bottom Line") in which all of society
has the capacity and opportunity to maintain and improve its quality of life indefinitely
without degrading the quantity, quality or the availability of economic, environmental and
social resources. Sustainable development is the application of these resources to enhance
the safety, welfare, and quality of life for all of society.
• Civil engineers shall be committed to the following ASCE Principles of Sustainable
Development:
• Principle 1- Do the Right Project. A proposed project's economic, environmental and social
effects on each of the communities served and affected must be assessed and understood
by all stakeholders before there is a decision to proceed with a project. Consider non-
structural as well as structural (built) solutions to the needs being addressed; and
• Principle 2 - Do the Project Right. The civil engineer shall actively engage stakeholders and
secure public understanding and acceptance of a projects economic, environmental and
social costs and benefits. To move toward conditions of sustainability, engineers must design
and deliver projects that address sustainability holistically (from concept to demolition or
reuse) rather than adding a variety of "green" features onto a conventional project.
https://www.asce.org/issues-and-advocacy/public-policy/policy-statement-418---the-role-of-
 Role of Civil Engineers in Sustainable
Development
ASCE supports the following steps to achieve a sustainable project:
• Perform Life Cycle Assessment from Planning to Reuse. Project participants should use
rigorous life cycle methodologies that quantify the economic, environmental and social
effects of the project;
• Use Resources Wisely. Minimize Use of Non Renewable Resources. Sustainable development
shall include progressive reductions in resource use for a given level of service and resiliency.
The feasibility of restoration, or return of depleted resources, shall be evaluated by the civil
engineer;
• Plan for Resiliency. Sustainability requires planning for the impact natural and man-made
disasters and changing conditions can have on economic, environmental, and social
resources; and
• Validate Application of Principles. Civil engineers must guide project development and
validate the application of these principles by using metrics and rating tools such as the
EnvisionTM Rating System for sustainable infrastructure.
https://www.asce.org/issues-and-advocacy/public-policy/policy-statement-418---the-role-of-
the-civil-engineer-in-sustainable-development/
Role of Civil Engineers in Society

The Figure is showing general flow of Material in Human Economy,

indicating that Waste is a part of the economy. Waste from
Agriculture and Industrial activities should be re-used
 Sustainable Acts in US
• Clean Water Act ( CWA) of 1977, CWA puts restriction on the release
wastes in the navigable waters
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, that limit the
disposal of the solid and hazardous waste
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration created in 1970
(OSHA) and put in place to provide safe working conditions for
employees; and the improvement to building codes across the
country.
• All of these have been born out of an American society becoming
more aware of sustainable development
What Can Engineers do?
 Green Building
• A Green building is nothing more than a
building which is built using reusable materials
and other materials which make the building
efficient and environmentally friendly.
• Green building technology typically covers
everything from:
✓ Geo-thermal Heating to energy efficient appliances.
 Types of Green Building
Technologies/Materials
• Net Zero Concepts;
• HVAC (Heating, Ventilation And Air
Conditioning);
• Low Emitting Materials;
• Cool Roofs;
• Green Insulation;
• Solar Power;
• Smart Appliances;
• Water.
 Net Zero Concept
• Net zero or Zero energy buildings are built to
effectively operate independently of the standard
electric grid.
• In simple words, they are able to produce their own
power through the use of renewable energy sources.
✓ “Zero” here refers to both energy consumption and carbon
emissions.
✓ Such building structures consume zero net energy annually
and do not produce any carbon emissions as it largely
relies on renewable energy supplies like solar or wind
power.
 Cont.
• Net Zero Concept energy sources are:
✓ Active Solar Panels.
✓ Wind Collectors.
✓ Some buildings also use biofuels for heating.
 HVAC (Heating, Ventilation And Air
Conditioning)
• About half of a building’s energy demand are devoted to
heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC).
• Due to such high energy consumption, this particular
field has become an important point for innovation.
• Today all modern constructions employ HVAC systems, in
fact, it is one function that designates them as modern
buildings or homes. Through a series of ducts, house
warm or cool or dehumidified air flows into all the rooms
of a home. A centrally placed HVAC system is one of the
most silent and convenient ways to cool the entire
house.
 Cont.
• Main Objective: The main objective of an HVAC
system is to reduce the electricity consumption of
the building from the electricity grid.
 Low-Emitting Materials
• Selecting low emitting materials and products not only
improves human health but also goes long way in
protecting the overall environment. In addition to that, it
also helps the building projects achieve Green building
credits.
• Products used as Low-Emitting Materials:
✓Interior paints and coatings applied on-site.
✓Flooring.
✓Ceilings and Walls.
✓Thermal and acoustic insulation.
 Cool Roofs
• A cool roof is one sustainable green building technology
which aims at reflecting the heat and sunlight away. It
helps largely in keeping the buildings at standard room
temperatures by depressing heat absorption and
thermal emittance.
• Typical Design of cool roofs consider:
✓Use of Special tiles and reflective paints.
✓cool roofs easily reduce temperatures by more the 50
degree Celsius during the summer months.
✓Cool roofs help in minimizing the dependence on air
conditioning systems, which in turn helps in reducing the
energy use and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
 Green Insulation
• Energy-efficient heating can only keep a building warm if there is
sufficient thermal insulation to keep the heat inside. Another fact
that might surprise you is that Insulation is one of the greatest
concerns when it comes to the construction of buildings and homes.
• Some people do not understand that insulators are simply wall filters
which do not necessarily need use of expensive materials.
• Some basic insulating materials:
✓wool insulation materials, slag slabs, natural fibre
insulation materials, porotherm bricks, gypsum board
e.t.c.
 Cont.
• Additionally, the use of green insulation has proved
out to be a sustainable construction technology as it
helps in eliminating the need of high-end finishes
made from non-renewable materials.
• Few examples of green insulation are:
✓ Denim Insulation.
✓ Cellulose Insulation.
✓ Glass and Cotton Insulation.
 Solar Power
• Solar power is one among the most common sustainable green
building technology used today. Primarily in green construction, it is
being utilized in two ways:
✓ Active Solar Power: This system is the use of functional solar
systems which absorb the sun’s radiation to provide for heating
and electricity provision. It helps in reducing the need for gas or
electricity.
✓ Upfront installation costs are little higher but in long run it saves
on energy bills and also aids in reducing greenhouse gas emission.
✓ Passive Solar Power: This design uses the sun’s rays to warm
homes through the strategic placement of windows and the use of
heat-absorbing surfaces. The windows allow energy in and the
heat absorbed reduces the need for warming the house during
cold winter months.
 Smart Appliances
• Green building technologies emphasize the installation of
energy saving and self-sufficient home appliances. Smart Grid
refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, micro oven are
examples of such technologies.
• These technologies are oriented towards creating zero-energy
homes as well as commercial buildings.
 Water
• Conservation of water is one of the basic principles
of green building.
• Rigorous efforts are needed to ensure that material
and systems which are used in building construction
aid in the reduction of water consumption.
• The principle of water efficiency and sustainable
water management is quite achievable, it can be
done by using alternate sources of water to meet
the water demands where the quality of water
need not be potable.
 Cont.
• Green buildings are sustainable buildings which
demand water conservation as well as preventing
pollution and use reuse of grey water and recycle
treated water ensuring potable water use for potable
purpose only.
Advantages of Green Building
Green Building technology for Existing
Buildings
• Flow-restricting devices can be installed in your taps.
• Use automatic taps and flushes in lavatories to save
water.
• Switch off lights and other electronic devices when not
in use to save energy.
• Use rainwater harvesting systems to conserve
rainwater.
• Do not use Air Conditioners at temperatures lower
than 26°C.
• Use solar panels in regions that receive ample amounts
of sunlight throughout the year.
 Environmental Risk Management
• Risk:
– Likelihood of accident while traveling by road VS likelihood
of accident while traveling by air ?

– 116/100 million miles VS 0.34/100 million miles

• “Environmental risk can be defined as the chance of

harmful effects to human health or to ecological
systems resulting from exposure to any physical,
chemical, or biological entity in the environment that
can induce an adverse response”
 Environmental Risk Assessment
• Environmental risk assessment is a quantitative way of arriving at a statistical

probability of an adverse action occurring. It has four main steps:

1. Identification of the nature and end point of the risk (e.g. death or disability

from hazardous chemicals, loss of ecological diversity from habitat

encroachment, impairment of ecosystem services, etc.)

2. Development of quantitative methods of analysis ( dose-response)

3. Determination of the extent of exposure (i.e. fate, transport, and

transformation of contaminants to an exposed population), and

4. Calculation of the risk, usually expressed as a statistical likelihood.

Distinction between Risk management
and assessment
“Risk management is distinct from risk assessment, and involves the
integration of risk assessment with other considerations, such as
economic, social, or legal concerns, to reach decisions regarding the
need for and practicability of implementing various risk reduction
activities.

Finally, risk communication consists of the formal and informal

processes of communication among various parties who are
potentially at risk from or are otherwise interested in the
threatening agent/action.

It matters a great deal how a given risk is communicated and

perceived: do we have a measure of control, or are we subject to
powerful unengaged or arbitrary forces?”
 References

• Hussain, MA. Civil Engineering for Sustainable Development (2016)

• Azmat, M. lectures notes for Sustainable Design and Disaster Risk
Management, University of Engineering and Technology
• Ahmed, I. lectures notes for Sustainable Design and Disaster Risk
Management, University of Engineering and Technology
• Azapagic, A., Perdan, S., & Clift, R. (2004). Sustainable Development in
Practice. John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
• Sachs, J. (2014). THE AGE OF SUSTAINABLE. Coulombia University Press.
• Theis, T., & Tomkin, J. (n.d.). Sustainability : A Comprehensive Foundation.
• https://dailytimes.com.pk/407953/why-public-policies-fail-in-pakistan/
• https://cscr.pk/explore/themes/politics-governance/power-of-a-good-policy-
why-public-policies-keep-failing-in-pakistan/
• https://www.asce.org/issues-and-advocacy/public-policy/policy-statement-
418---the-role-of-the-civil-engineer-in-sustainable-development/
• https://gosmartbricks.com/green-building-technology-concept-need-and-
types/