Especially in Asia, one of the grave concerns for many low- and middle-income households is access to affordable and adequate housing. This is even more acute now after the prolonged, multi-layered crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on Asian Development Bank’s research in 2019 on housing price involving 211 cities in 27 developing countries […]
Read More… from Is co-living the answer to urban housing unaffordability crisis in Asia?
The next few years will see water become intensively harnessed for energy purposes. With fossil fuels in limited supply and its utilisation causing great harm to the environment, water could be seen as a cleaner and renewable alternative for energy production. This article will discuss three water-based technologies with respect to energy production. WATER AS […]
Read More… from Water Becomes the New Crude and Other Things
Humanity is facing “an existential threat” from climate change as the world is “nearing the point of no return”. These were the stark warnings issued by the UN General-Secretary three years ago. With an imminent threat to the survival of our species, one would expect swift and decisive actions from our world leaders, as if […]
Read More… from Steering Clear of Catastrophe: Solutions from the Built Environment
Globally, via the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), leading cities and companies are committing to a highly efficient and decarbonised building operations by 2050. Climate change has not stopped for COVID-19 Millions will die if world fails on climate promises But to achieve a net-zero circular economy, one of the strategies […]
In the construction sector, China is in the forefront of production and manufacturing of parts, as well as technology—case in point: the agility and speed at which hospitals and temporary isolation facilities had been set up during the COVID-19 pandemic. Office buildings in the Capital Business District on 16 November 2014. This is the primary […]
Read More… from China’s impact on construction, economy & environment: A snapshot
When one thinks about traditional Vietnamese architecture now, one might think bamboo is the archetypal material used. If one were to have a quick look at projects highlighted in recent years from Vietnam, one could be forgiven for this assumption. This is perhaps contributed in no small part by architects such as Vo Trong Nghia […]
Without a doubt, technology has been pushed to the forefront and put to the test as the world scrambled to deal with the pandemic. Economies and travel grinded to a halt, as lockdowns, quarantines and social distancing measures were implemented. As the number of people under self-quarantine increases, the variety of digital services for entertainment […]
A transformative change in the global approach to dealing with infectious diseases is needed. Failing that, future pandemics will emerge more often, spread more rapidly, do more damage to the world economy and kill more people than COVID-19, warns a report on biodiversity and pandemics by 22 leading experts from around the world (Intergovernmental Science-Policy […]
Read More… from Land use and climate change as drivers of pandemic risk and biodiversity loss
The Coalition for Urban Transitions released a new report Seizing the Urban Opportunity on 17 March 2021. The report focuses on emerging economies as they face particularly complex challenges that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The six key countries — China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa — produce about a third of […]
Over the past year, Indonesia’s energy policy teams have devoted new resources to a plan focused on efforts to extend the life of PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara’s (PLN’s) coal-fired power fleet by switching to biomass cofiring. The plan focuses on leveraging PLN’s existing 18 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired power plant capacity. The planners are betting […]
Read More… from Switching coal plants to biomass cofiring is no magic bullet
Save nature, save money: A commercial case. Scientists have once again made the commercial case for conserving wilderness. They have demonstrated that in its pristine state—mangrove swamps, wetlands, savannahs, forests, etc.—nature left alone is of more value to humankind than as exploited real estate. “People go on getting richer, and the planet pays a mounting price. “ The […]
Read More… from Nature left alone offers more than if we exploit it
Employees returning to the office might find fewer desks and more room to chat over coffee, as companies offer more space for interaction. Lockdowns that have taken hold since March last year have forced millions of people to work from home — a shift that has been embraced by many companies as a possible long-term […]
Read More… from Fewer desks, more coffee: Possible changes in offices after COVID-19
