Abstract
There is an enormous demand for rural housing in India that needs to be catered for within a short span of time. Building with earth (mud) is proposed as an economical and environmental friendly alternative due to the rising costs of conventional building materials. However, the construction of earthen houses has significantly declined in India and thus it is necessary to evaluate if they can make a valuable contribution to contemporary housing shortage. Therefore, an informal survey was conducted in India to understand factors favouring or limiting the construction and daily use of earthen houses. The outcome of the survey suggests that ‘Image’ is the key barrier against a wide acceptance of traditional earthen houses which are linked to poverty. While modern earthen construction is desired, it is expensive for low-income households. The role of earth in addressing the contemporary housing shortage is analysed and suggestions are given for the implementation of modern earthen technologies for low-cost affordable rural housing. Initiatives by middle-high income households, entrepreneurs and government can trigger a widespread interest in earthen construction. Successful demonstration of durable earthen structures at diverse locations and contexts can act as catalysts for change of the image of earth and make it a desirable material for low-cost housing in rural India.
Highlights
The World Bank has estimated a need for 300 million new housing units by 2030 to accommodate three billion people of the world [1]
The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of earthen materials as a low-cost alternative for contemporary housing shortage in rural India
Traditional earthen houses are commonly found in most rural areas and adopted based on local conditions and cultural motives
Summary
The World Bank has estimated a need for 300 million new housing units by 2030 to accommodate three billion people of the world [1]. There is high pressure on governments to cater for this enormous demand of housing. Housing is known to have a significant. Impact on economic development [2,3,4,5] 80% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product)depends on 54% of world population that lives in the urban areas [6]). Urban housing projects, especially for slum upgrades, have been given significant attention by international organisations and media, while rural housing projects are comparatively neglected and given low importance. Currently 46% of the world population lives in rural areas. This population is significantly higher in developing countries such as India, where about 67% of the population lives in rural areas [7]
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