As a relatively new member of the Institution of Civil Engineers’ Engineering Sustainability journal editorial panel, I am delighted to have the opportunity to write this August issue (volume 173, issue 5) editorial in lockdown from my deserted desk at the United Nations (UN) in Nairobi, Kenya.
During this unprecedented time of Covid-19, it is our intention as an editorial panel to provide some insights and parallels into our current situation. As the present public health crisis has demonstrated, we are all now, more than ever, ‘ultra’ dependent on systems. These systems are required to deliver our global infrastructure, services and supplies to both continue to prevent and mitigate the impacts of global pandemics.
Over the last few decades, the infrastructure sector has adopted a number of service tools which have enhanced quality assurance and quality control throughout the civil engineering project cycle. For example, over the period of 1992 to 2000, the UK water and wastewater engineering sector was affected by a spate of asset failures that resulted in 24 outbreaks of Cryptosporidium-, Campylobacter- and Giardia-related infections (Smith et al., 2006). To prevent and reduce the hazards and vulnerabilities associated with these assets, the industry adopted a systems-based approach termed water safety plans (WSPs). The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that the application of the WSP approach can greatly reduce public health epidemics (Baum and Bartram, 2018). The paper notes that by using WSPs, the efficiency, affordability and potability of water services can be improved.
In this edition of the journal, we have four papers that build on the theme of a ‘systems-based approach’. The four papers all emphasise that systems are critical for sustainability and resilience. Tang et al. (2020) document an analysis of the Delphi method using a causal loop analysis method. The figure below is an illustration from the paper by Tang et al. (2020) on the interconnectivity of the critical success factors (CSFs), success criteria (SCs) and procurement system variables (PSVs) causal loop relationships (Figure 1).
Draft causal-loop diagram of the relationships between CSFs, SCs and PSVs (Tang et al., 2020)
Draft causal-loop diagram of the relationships between CSFs, SCs and PSVs (Tang et al., 2020)
Tang et al. conclude that, given the complexity of these interconnectivities, a life-cycle analysis for systems is required to deliver building projects in Hong Kong and beyond. This life-cycle approach is further explored in the paper by Huang et al. (2020), which examines the critical control points in the system of asphalt pavement construction. It recommends optimisation phases during the cycle of the service chain to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The reduction in particulate pollution is further emphasised by Banchs-Piqué et al. (2020) who use a scenario modelling method to assess the sustainability in ‘Designing Resilient Cities’. This paper applies the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) that was first developed by Saaty (1987) for decision making of complex infrastructure problems in Sudan, Africa and concludes that domestic electricity consumption can be reduced in the UK by adopting a systems approach. Finally, Loggia and Govender (2020) review a four-dimensional geo-spatial methodology to map multiple indicator sources in low-income settlements in South Africa. Applying global best practice, this paper concludes that the resilience of one urban centre is intra-dependent on the services and supplies from another.
As we emerge from this current global pandemic, we can see more than ever that civil engineering infrastructure requires a systems-based approach.
I hope you enjoy reading the papers in this issue and making the connection between our current situation and our ultra-dependence on infrastructure systems.
