Engineering Commons^™

Mining And Sustainable Development In Sierra Leone: The Role Of Institutional Quality, Ibrahim Massaquoi

Journal of Sustainable Mining

While mining can drive economic growth, create jobs, and promote infrastructural development, it also poses risks to the environment, human health, and social well-being. Therefore, to achieve sustainable development, responsible mining is crucial. This study empirically examines the role of institutional quality in the mining-sustainable development nexus in Sierra Leone. With the use of the planetary pressures-adjusted human development index (PHDI) as a comprehensive measure of sustainable development, the study is able to integrate economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model confirms the existence of both short-run and long-run dynamics. The results of the study show …

Facilitating The Move Towards A Wellbeing Economy Through Supporting Infrastructure: A Review Of Frontrunner Countries, Henry Bartelet, Vincent De Gooyert

Quantitative Methods and Information Technology Faculty Publications

As more governments seek to shift beyond gross domestic product (GDP) as the dominant measure of progress, the concept of a “wellbeing economy” has gained traction. This approach prioritizes human and environmental wellbeing through broader, more holistic policy frameworks. A central question in this transition is what the implications of shifts to a wellbeing economy are for infrastructure investments. In this study, we identify four frontrunner governments, Bhutan, Scotland, New Zealand, and Wales, that have formally adopted wellbeing economy principles. We analyse how each operationalizes the concept and assess the resulting implications for infrastructure planning and investment. Despite shared goals, …

Lessons Learned From Global Experiences Of Urban Competitiveness To Improve The Humanization Of Egyptian Cities, Asmaa Mostafa Elshamy

Journal of Engineering Research

This study explores the intricate relationship between urban competitiveness and urban humanization in the context of global capital cities and Cairo. By examining key indicators and conducting comprehensive statistical analyses, the study highlights the significance of prioritizing sustainable and inclusive urban development strategies that foster economic growth, social cohesion, environmental sustainability, and cultural preservation. The findings emphasize the critical role of governments and policymakers in shaping vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable urban environments that prioritize the well-being and aspirations of residents. Drawing upon global best practices and lessons learned, the study offers valuable recommendations to enhance the urban competitiveness and humanization …

Empathy, Education, And Awareness: A Vr Hackathon’S Approach To Tackling Climate Change, Noor Alqallaf, Dalia W. Elnagar, Sherif G. Aly, Khalil I. Elkhodary, Rami Ghannam

Faculty Journal Articles

Climate change education is crucial for fostering informed and engaged future generations. However, traditional pedagogies often fail to engage learners fully and provide real-world, experiential learning. This paper presents a novel approach to climate change education through a three-day virtual reality (VR) hackathon. The hackathon focused on four United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—Quality Education, Affordable and Clean Energy, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Climate Action. Using VR technology and game design software, engineering students worked in teams. They competed against each other in designing immersive environments that demonstrated their understanding of these SDGs and climate change. Our goal …

Assessing Adoption Barriers Of Sustainable Packaging In Egypt, Carol Ramses Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

Sustainable packaging has become an essential part of business decisions and corporate directions. With the rise of environmental damages due to improper waste management and unsustainable practices, businesses have a major responsibility to analyze their products’ life cycles and redesign them with sustainability in mind. Applying sustainable packaging could save companies large amounts of resources, therefore cutting costs, while also achieving the legal and social duty as a corporation towards society and the environment. Many developing countries, with specific focus on Egypt, have recently focused on legislative and corporate decisions in order to encourage more sustainable practices. Egypt’s new Waste …

Vertical Farming: A Key To Sustainable Compact Cities, Mohab Taher Abdelfatah, Sahar Mahmoud El-Arnaouty, Akram Abdelhakim Zayan

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Urbanization continues to surge, with projections indicating that by 2050, around 70 percent of the global population will reside in urban areas. In response, urban planners are exploring novel urban paradigms to ensure food security through urban agriculture, a cornerstone of sustainable development encompassing environmental, economic, and social dimensions. This study addresses a critical research gap within urban agriculture, conducting a comparative analysis between horizontal and vertical farming methodologies within urban contexts. By categorizing various typologies of vertical farming, from container farms to mixed-use structures, this research highlights their distinct contributions to sustainable urban development. Emphasis is placed on vertical …

Taking Curriculum Reform To The Next Level: The Need For Decolonising Work In Engineering Education, Gabrielle Orbaek White

Research Papers

As humanity is faced with unparalleled challenges, from the climate emergency to rising inequality, there is a renewed emphasis on the role of engineering professionals to contribute solutions to global problems. However, there is increasing recognition that the way that engineers are trained through higher education is inadequate to prepare them to address these grand challenges. This paper aims to deepen theoretical perspectives on why the engineering education status quo is falling short. Taking a British perspective, I outline how the epistemology and cultural ideologies, or the “episteme,” of engineering continues to shape our discourses within modern day engineering education, …

Design And Concept Of Renewable Energy Driven Auto-Detectable Railway Level Crossing Systems In Bangladesh, Iftekharuzzaman Iftekharuzzaman, Susmita Ghosh, Mohammad K. Basher, Mohammad A. Islam, Narottam Das, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Bangladesh’s railway system mostly uses typical manual railway crossing techniques or boom gates through its 2955.53 km rail route all over the country. Accidents frequently happen at railway crossings due to the lack of quickly operating gate systems, and to fewer safety measures at the railway crossing as well. Currently, there are very few automatic railway crossing systems available (without obstacle detectors). Additionally, all of them are dependent on the national power grid, without a backup plan for any emergency cases. Bangladesh is still running a bit behind in generating enough power for its consumption; hence, it is not possible …

Classification And Creation Of Design Tools And Methods For Social Impact Considerations In Engineering For Global Development, Andrew Gary Armstrong

Theses and Dissertations

Every product has economic, environmental, and social impacts whether or not those impacts are explicitly considered. These impacts affect society and are an important part of engineering design. "Triple Bottom Line Sustainability" focuses on economic, environmental, and social sustainability and has become an important goal for those designing products. Economic considerations are an established part of the engineering design process. Environmental considerations are increasingly being considered in design including the development of design standards and widely used methodologies. Social impact considerations, however, lack the standardization and wide inclusion of economic and environmental considerations. This results in reduced and unbalanced consideration …

Permaculture As An Ecopedagogy Curriculum And Alternative Theory Of Development : An Exploration Of The Ecological Consciousness Of Rural Western Kenyan Farmers Using Photo-Voice With A Farmer Field School During Covid-19, David Yisrael Epstein

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation explores two main questions of farmers in Western Kenya – how they see farming as a creative process and their role in that – and how change is made possible in their community. I explore stories from farmers themselves, using photographs they have taken and stories they tell about those photographs, which answer these two questions. In doing so, I attempt to understand the degree to which collective action has taken root in a community exposed to a permaculture based curriculum within a farmer field school. It also importantly seeks to understand what happens when such a curriculum …

Leaf Cutter Ant Nest Soil Cement Stabilized Earthen Bricks: Materials And Methods For Engineering Field Applications, Faith Malay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As climate change threatens vulnerable tropical climates and development outpaces resource availability, the need for diverse construction material grows. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals aim to reduce poverty in all forms. Diversifying construction material works toward reducing indoor air pollution, the eradication of houselessness, encouraging diversification in industry, and supporting small scale industrialization. In the Province of Bocas del Toro in Panama, there is a tenuous connection to the greater industries in the country due to location and existing infrastructure.This research presents a literature review of the historical approaches to the construction and chemistry of cement stabilized earth bricks, …

The Contribution Of Mining Sector To Sustainable Development In Saudi Arabia, Mourad Zmami, Ousama Ben-Salha, Sultan O. Almarshad, Houyem Chekki

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The mining sector development is among the priorities of the Saudi Vision 2030. There is currently a lot of interest in the role of the mining sector in Saudi Arabia. This research contributes to this debate by empirically assessing the effects of mining on sustainable development in Saudi Arabia during the period 1980-2018. Unlike many previous studies, the three sustainable development dimensions, namely economic, social, and environmental, are jointly considered. The cointegration analysis, based on the ARDL, Gregory-Hansen, and combined cointegration tests, confirms the existence of long-run relationships between mining and all sustainable development dimensions. Furthermore, the findings lend substantial …

Decentralized Renewable Hybrid Mini-Grids For Rural Communities: Culmination Of The Irep Framework And Scale Up To Urban Communities, Blessing Ugwoke, Adedoyin Adeleke, Stefano P. Corgnati, Joshua M. Pearce, Pierluigi Leone

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The Integrated Rural Energy Planning (IREP) framework offers a unified road map for locating, planning and operating decentralized renewable hybrid off-grid energy systems for localized (rural) applications in low-income countries. This paper presents the culmination of the IREP framework and aims to illustrate the final step of the IREP framework for two communities in Nigeria. It is focused on two aspects. Firstly, the techno-economic modeling (investment and operation optimization) of a hybrid mini-grid system using HOMER Pro, a techno-economic evaluation tool; and evaluating the benefits of demand side management (DSM) based on energy efficiency on the overall system economics using …

Global Sustainability, Fall/Winter 2005, Issue 11

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.

A Review Of In-Situ And Remote Sensing Technologies To Monitor Water And Sanitation Interventions, Luis Andres, Kwasi Boateng, Christian Borja-Vega, Evan Thomas

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), announced in September 2015, present a vision of achieving a higher level of human health and well-being worldwide by the year 2030. The SDG targets specific to water and sanitation call for more detailed monitoring and response to understand the coverage and quality of safely managed sources. It is hoped that improved monitoring of water and sanitation interventions will reveal more cost-effective and efficient ways of meeting the SDGs. In this paper, we review the landscape of approaches that can be used to support and improve on the water and sanitation targets SDG …

Design And Implementation Of A Ferrocement Improved Cookstove In Rural Panama, Josh Donegan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Household air pollution contributes to the premature death of more than 4 million people annually. Improved cookstoves are one technological intervention that can potentially reduce exposure to household air pollution. However, improved cookstove implementation programs need to consider measures to increase sustainability and promote long-term adoption. The objectives of this research were 1) to develop and implement a new ferrocement cookstove for Peña Blanca, a rural indigenous community in the Ngäbe-Bugle region of Panama, 2) to evaluate its potential sustainability in comparison to the most common cooking technologies observed in the community, 3) to prepare a construction manual for the …

Social Sustainability Indicators In Mass Housing Construction, Ali Karji, Asregedew Woldesenbet, Mostafa Khanzadi

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

In the construction industry, buildings constitute more than half of the new construction built in the world. With the rapid growth of population in urban areas and high-energy consumption of buildings, considerable attention and efforts have been devoted to creating a sustainably built environment. As a result, various sustainable rating systems, principles and tools have been developed in recent years. This paper presents efforts underway for evaluation of sustainability in mass housing construction projects in the Middle East from a social aspect. The study reviews reports, guidelines and best practices at national and international levels to detect key sustainability indicators. …

High-Efficiency Solar-Powered 3-D Printers For Sustainable Development, Jephias Gwamuri, Dhiogo Franco, Khalid Khan, Lucia Gauchia, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The release of the open source 3-D printer known as the RepRap (a self-Replicating Rapid prototyper) resulted in the potential for distributed manufacturing of products for significantly lower costs than conventional manufacturing. This development, coupled with open source-appropriate technology (OSAT), has enabled the opportunity for 3-D printers to be used for sustainable development. In this context, OSAT provides the opportunity to modify and improve the physical designs of their printers and desired digitally-shared objects. However, these 3-D printers require electricity while more than a billion people still lack electricity. To enable the utilization of RepRaps in off-grid communities, solar photovoltaic …

Evaluation Of School Vip Latrines And User Preferences And Motivations For Adopting Communal Sanitation Technologies In Zwedru, Liberia, Sarah J. Ness

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis has three objectives as follows: 1) to investigate VIP latrine design and establish if the communal school VIP latrines located on the shared campus of Tubman Wilson Institute (TWI) Junior and Senior High School and J.C. Barlee Elementary School were properly designed and constructed, 2) to explore the user preferences and motivations impacting the adoption of these school latrines, and 3) to develop a framework for factors that influence latrine adoption. These goals were formed by the author in response to her Peace Corps experience working at a high school in Zwedru, Liberia from August 2012 to August …

Assessing The Impacts Of Unrestricted Pesticide Use In Small-Scale Agriculture On Water Quality And Associated Human Health And Ecological Implications In An Indigenous Village In Rural Panam[Aacute], Sarah Louise Watson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 2014, the global pesticide industry's projected worth is $52 billion and by 2020, the developing world will make up one-third of the world's chemical production and consumption. Pesticides can have unintended negative consequences for human health and the environment, especially in the developing world where regulations are loose or nonexistent. One country with unrestricted use of pesticides is Panam[aacute], especially in Santa Rosa de Cucunatí. In this indigenous village, small-scale farmers and ranchers spray paraquat, glyphosate, picloram, and 2,4-D at higher elevations than the spring water source of a gravity-fed water system, the river, and the village. The objective …

On Target For People And Planet: Setting And Achieving Water-Related Sustainable Development Goals, Julie Van Der Bliek, Peter G. Mccornick, James Clarke

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Our specific focus in this book is on securing water for sustainable food production. This links to sustainable water resources management, delivering on the water supply and sanitation requirements and provisioning water for energy and the urban sector. A specific intent is to ensure that the realities in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia are recognized and to provide practical pathways to change that fit these realities and the aspirations of those countries. This will help to prepare for the next step in the SDG [sustainable development goals] process: devolving the SDGs to the national level. It will …

Socioeconomic Factors' And Water Source Features' Effect On Household Water Supply Choices In Uganda And The Associated Environmental Impacts, Christine M. Prouty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the last twenty years or more, Uganda has benefitted from significant strides in water and sanitation initiated by the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals. While the rapid progress towards development has been vastly beneficial, it is also important that it does not occur at the expense of the environment. The environmental impacts of these water sources must be evaluated and understood. However, to develop a robust understanding of the impact requires inclusion of the community members who use these sources and their perceptions of them. Consequently, the goal of this research is to investigate the interrelationships between socioeconomic factors, …

Community And Household Management Strategies For Water Supply And Treatment In Rural And Peri-Urban Areas In The Developing World, Ryan William Schweitzer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eighty percent of the 780 million people worldwide that access water from an unimproved source live in rural areas. In rural areas, water systems are often managed by community based organizations and many of these systems do not provide service at the designed levels. The Sustainability Analysis Tool developed in Chapter 2 can inform decision making, characterize specific needs of rural communities in the management of their water systems, and identify weaknesses in training regimes or support mechanisms. The framework was tested on 61 statistically representative geographically stratified sample communities with rural water systems in the Dominican Republic. The results …

The Case For Open Source Appropriate Technology, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Much of the widespread poverty, environmental desecration, and waste of human life seen around the globe could be prevented by known (to humanity as a whole) technologies, many of which are simply not available to those that need it. This lack of access to critical information for sustainable development is directly responsible for a morally and ethically unacceptable level of human suffering and death. A solution to this general problem is the concept of open source appropriate technology or OSAT, which refers to technologies that provide for sustainable development while being designed in the same fashion as free and open …

Agenda: Shale Plays In The Intermountain West: Legal And Policy Issues, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Shale Plays in the Intermountain West: Legal and Policy Issues (November 12)

This one-day symposium to be held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Denver will address the technology, economics, environmental impacts, and regulatory issues associated with shale gas development in the Rocky Mountain region. The purpose of this event is to facilitate productive dialogue among a wide range of stakeholders and interested parties to guide policy decisions.

Identifying Indicators Of Sustainable Development Using The Global Sustainability Quadrant Approach , Andres B. Tarte

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Advances in information technology and global data availability have opened the door for assessments of sustainable development at a truly macro scale. It is now fairly easy to conduct a study of sustainability using the entire planet as the unit of analysis; this is precisely what this work set out to accomplish.

The study began by examining some of the best known composite indicator frameworks developed to measure sustainability at the country level today. Most of these were found to value human development factors and a clean local environment, but to gravely overlook consumption of (remote) resources in relation …

Development And Integration Of New Processes Consuming Carbon Dioxide In Multi-Plant Chemical Production Complexes, Sudheer Indala

LSU Master's Theses

New, energy-efficient and environmentally acceptable, catalytic processes have been identified that can use excess high purity CO₂ as a raw material from the sources available in a chemical production complex. The chemical complex in the lower Mississippi River Corridor has been used to show how these new plants can be integrated into this existing infrastructure using the Chemical Complex and Cogeneration Analysis System. Eighty six published articles of laboratory and pilot plant experiments were reviewed that describe new methods and catalysts to use CO₂ for producing commercially important products. Reactions have been categorized as hydrogenation reactions; hydrocarbon synthesis …

Chemical Production Complex Optimization, Pollution Reduction And Sustainable Development, Aimin Xu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this research is to propose, develop and demonstrate chemical production complex optimization to determine the optimal configuration of chemical plants in a superstructure of possible plants. The Chemical Complex Analysis System is a new methodology that has been developed to determine the best configuration of plants in a chemical production complex based on the AIChE Total Cost Assessment (TCA) for economic, energy, environmental and sustainable costs. All new, energy-efficient, and environmentally acceptable plants using greenhouse gases that can produce potentially commercial products designed with HYSYS were integrated into the chemical complex using the System. The optimum configuration …

Renewable Energy Limits, Florida Solar Energy Center, Ross Mccluney

FSEC Energy Research Center®

"The more we get out of the world the less we leave, and in the long run we shall have to pay our debts at a time that may be very inconvenient for our own survival." - Norbert Wiener

Introduction: The world's energy and environmental crises are inextricably linked. The processes of extracting, processing, and burning fossil fuels generates copious pollution of air, water, and land. Fossil-fuel-derived energy lies at the heart of other environmental problems. Fossil energy powers the bulldozers clearing rainforests. It runs the tractors and other farm equipment of industrial agriculture, compacting and mineralizing soils thus increasing …