Environmental Impacts of Construction Activities: A Case of Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

The construction industry plays a vital role in wealth creation through provision of infrastructure. However, the industry is known to be a major contributor to environmental degradation. This paper presents the results of the study, which assessed the environmental impacts of construction activities in Zambia. A quantitative approach was adopted for the study and a well-structured questionnaire survey was conducted on the construction professionals. Analysis of the data was done using the mean item scores. The study revealed that interface with the ecosystem, increase in various types of pollution and deforestation are the major impacts. Finally, there is need to adopt and implement sustainable construction practices as a way of reducing the impacts of construction activities on the environment. This can be achieved if all the stakeholders are involved, especially the government, which plays a cardinal role in the formulation of regulations and policies that support sustainable construction practices.