HAC1 Sustainable Construction
HAC1 Sustainable Construction in Humanitarian Action
The goal of this project is to improve the sustainability of ICRC construction projects, particularly for water and local habitat. - Urgent humanitarian assistance is provided in the context of increasing attention paid to sustainability, as reflected by the adoption of the UN New Urban Agenda, revolving around establishing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For the ICRC, the construction of health facilities and basic infrastructure in contexts of protracted crises is a significant part of operations. This has become an increasing incidence due to the globally unstable situation. Given the significant environmental impact of construction operations, humanitarian construction programmes’ workflow requires rethinking to contribute to a sustainable transformation. There has been much progress in the last decades concerning implementing sustainable building technologies and adopting sustainability assessment methods and frameworks to support the diffusion of such practices. However, climate change is still a threat that requires daily efforts and advocacy. Looking at the specific operational context of the ICRC and, more broadly, the humanitarian sector, work is still needed to enable progress into more sustainable humanitarian operations.
Credits Main Image: ICRC/Alexander Humbert/2014
As leader of the EPFL EssentialTech’s Humanitarian Division, Greg works at the interface of research and humanitarian action. He is leading several large-scale partnerships between EPFL and the ICRC (Engineering for Humanitarian Action), the UNHCR (The Geneva Technical Hub) and the Graduate Institute (The Future of Humanitarian Design). He is also developing executive trainings for humanitarian practitioners on the responsible use of technology in humanitarian setting, as well as about cybersecurity in the sector. Prior to working at EssentialTech, he led the Innovation Coordination at MSF (Doctors Without Borders) Switzerland, aimed at harnessing the power of medical, humanitarian and digital innovations to meet the needs of patients and others affected by disasters. He previously worked several years as a manager for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in various regions affected by armed conflicts (Afghanistan, Colombia, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire) and later as Deputy Director for the Antenna Foundation, an NGO that incubates innovative solutions to meet the basic needs of people living in poverty. He is the co-founder and current President of the Board of Watalux SA, a social startup developing innovation for safe water and better hygiene in hospitals, and Board Member of SwissSolidarity, a leading Swiss philanthropic foundation. He holds a PhD in Life Science from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland).
Dr. EmelineDarçot is a project manager at the EssentialTech Centre in Lausanne, Switzerland, which harnesses innovation in support of sustainable development,humanitarian action and peace promotion. She is currently coordinating the Engineering Humanitarian Action programme within the Humanitarian Division.
She holds a PhD in Life Science from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland). After a PhD and a postdoctoral position in biomedical imaging at the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Emeline joined the EPFL EssentialTech Centre in 2021 as a project coordinator on the Ren’All Care project. She then joined the EPFL Research Office in 2022 as project manager and coordinates since then the Engineering Humanitarian Action programme within the Humanitarian Division of the EssentialTech Centre.
Integrated Settlement Planning