Barriers and adoption of sustainable construction methods in developing contexts: Rammed Earth in Zimbabwe
Infrastructure development plays a critical role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); however, it also contributes significantly to global emissions. Low-income countries face the challenge of economic development without repeating the mistakes of high-income nations, aiming to decouple material consumption and emissions from development. Despite recent policy interventions, Zimbabwe is facing a housing backlog, rapidly rising cost of living, significant resource deficits, and climate-related pressures.
Rammed Earth (RE), a traditional construction technique, has gained renewed interest globally due to its performance, affordability, and environmental benefits compared to conventional modern construction methods. However, despite these benefits, it has faced slow uptake. A commonly cited reason for this is the lack of standards; however, Zimbabwe is the counterexample to this, as despite its early adoption of RE standards, it has seen minimal uptake of this sustainable construction technique.
This study combines a literature analysis and semi-structured interviews with construction stakeholders to assess the adoption of RE in Zimbabwe. Its objectives are threefold: first, to establish an overview of the role RE can play in addressing the SDGs and Zimbabwe’s housing crisis; second, to conduct a causal loop analysis to understand why the RE standard has not been widely used; and thirdly, to identify strategic intervention points for increasing RE construction in Zimbabwe.
Due to the technical properties of RE, its adoption could assist to create high-quality, low-embodied energy houses, assisting the country to develop its own pathway towards achieving the SDGs, decoupling development from material use, and the creation of a construction sector that is more sustainable and cognisant of past social injustices. RE does have significant social barriers to overcome as there are preconceived perceptions of RE due to association with previous earth construction as well as prior introduction of RE. This research highlights potential avenues to intervene in the system to assist in RE adoption, as well as outline through diffusion of innovation theory, a pathway to a more sustainable construction industry.