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Buildings vs. climate change: Building adaptation and mitigation

February 19, 2019 por Luz Fernández - Rossemary Yurivilca - Livia Minoja Leave a Comment


The construction sector is growing at unprecedented rates and it is estimated that, during the next 40 years, 230 billion square meters of new infrastructure will be built in the world. The sector, between construction works and buildings, is one of the most important sources of pollution worldwide since it consumes 36% of global energy and produces 39% of CO2 emissions.

According to the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global temperature is expected to rise between 0.3 and 4.8 degrees Celsius in this century, in relation to the average temperature of the period 1986-2005. This will cause profound impacts, such as sea level rise, or increased frequency of floods and droughts. These expected impacts of climate change will have very negative impacts on buildings.

To cope with these threats, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the construction sector must be reduced, stopped and reversed; and, at the same time, buildings must improve their capacity for resilience in the face of the expected effects of climate change.

This is a great challenge for the construction industry.

How can we face this challenge and promote an infrastructure that mitigates and adapts to climate change?

The good news is that there are many opportunities!

In general terms, there are two types of strategies when we work with buildings: mitigation and adaptation to climate change. The mitigation measures are aimed at reducing GHG emissions. Adaptation measures focus on reducing the vulnerability and risks generated by climate change and, for the specific case of the building infrastructure, are aimed at strengthening the resilience of buildings.

Let’s see some more examples in detail to see how these strategies are applicable to buildings!

Mitigation strategies for climate change in buildings are mainly focused on promoting energy saving, the use of renewable energies, the proper management of waste, the integration of vegetation in building projects (such as roofs, walls and green terraces), and incorporation of elements that facilitate the use of non-motorized transport (such as the installation of parking lots for bicycles or charging stations for electric vehicles), among others, and are applicable in different measures both in existing buildings and in new buildings. It is even possible to design projects that comprehensively contemplate all these aspects from their architectural conception, defined as green, sustainable or bioclimatic buildings.

The strategies of adaptation to climate change are strictly related to the specific context in which the buildings are located. For example, in a context where water is a scarce resource, and/or projections indicate desertification processes, buildings can use strategies that promote efficient water use, water reduction, and / or water treatment, as the installation of a system of collection and treatment of gray or black water for use, for example, in irrigation or discharges of toilets, the installation of showers and low-flow taps for kitchens, toilets and bathrooms, double-flush toilets, etc. .

The IDB Group, together with other multilateral development banks, seeks to contribute to face the challenges of climate change, setting as a goal that 30% of its approved resources be invested in activities related to mitigation and adaptation to climate change for the year 2020. And the construction sector is a key actor to fulfill this ambitious objective. Help us in that task!

If you want to know more about how we work in the IDB Group with buildings and climate change, download the publication TOWARDS 30% OF CLIMATE FINANCING: HOW CAN BUILDINGS CONTRIBUTE?


Filed Under: Climate change

Luz Fernández

Luz es PhD en Ingeniería Ambiental por la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) con una tesis enfocada en las interacciones entre los instrumentos de mitigación de cambio climático y la reducción de la pobreza en Brasil, y tiene más de 10 años de experiencia trabajando como consultora, gestora de proyectos e investigadora en el diseño, monitoreo y evaluación de proyectos socio-ambientales y en el análisis de políticas climáticas en países en desarrollo. Luz comenzó a trabajar en el sector privado en España en una consultora enfocada en la compra venta de emisiones de CO2 bajo la directiva Europea del Comercio de Emisiones, y posteriormente fue directora en el departamento de Planificación del Instituto Dominicano de Desarrollo Integral (IDDI, una ONG local). Como parte de su trabajo doctoral, Luz ha sido profesora de posgrado en la temática de cambio climático y desarrollo, y ha trabajado como consultora e investigadora en proyectos de mitigación y adaptación al cambio climático y de gestión de residuos sólidos en Brasil. Antes de unirse al equipo del BID, Luz trabajaba como consultora para la Fundación Avina en ocho países de América Latina, coordinando un proyecto piloto sobre reciclaje inclusivo desarrollado con fondos de la Iniciativa Regional del Reciclaje (IRR), lanzada con fondos del BID y del FOMIN. Como parte del equipo de la División del Cambio Climático del BID, Luz está trabajando en el tracking del financiamiento climático de las operaciones del Grupo BID y apoya el mainstreaming de cambio climático dentro del Grupo.

Rossemary Yurivilca

Rossemary Yurivilca is a consultant in the Climate Change Division at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) focusing on climate finance tracking and supporting the climate mainstreaming strategy in the bank. She has over nine years of experience analyzing climate change policies, monitoring and evaluating sustainable development projects, and implementing initiatives towards a low carbon and resilient economy that engage both public and private sectors, as well as bilateral and multilateral agencies. Rossemary holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Columbia University (USA) and a BSc in Economics from Universidad del Pacifico (Peru) Twitter: @ross_yd

Livia Minoja

Livia is a Social Infrastructure Specialist at the IDB, where she works in the preparation and execution of programs that include the design and construction of social infrastructure projects in several countries in the region, such as Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Peru, and Suriname, among others. She is interested in issues of innovation, sustainability, and energy efficiency in buildings design, and in the systematization of best practices for the improvement of program execution processes. Previously, she worked at the Urban Development and Housing Division of the IDB, focusing on the revitalization of historic centers; at UN-Habitat in Mexico, as a consultant to develop design guidelines for shelters for women victims of violence; at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), as an architect in urban development program for the West Bank refugee camps. She also worked in architectural firms and research departments in Brazil and Italy, focusing mainly on urban development projects in marginalized areas. Additionally, she has been a Professor at the Faculty of Architecture at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and at the Faculty of Urban Studies at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem. Livia holds a master’s degree in Architecture from the Politecnico di Milano.

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This blog is a space to reflect about the challenges, opportunities and the progress made by Latin American and Caribbean countries on the path towards the region’s sustainable development.

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