Influencing sustainability by controlling future brownfields in Africa: a case study of Ethiopia
| Published date | 08 July 2019 |
| Date | 08 July 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/WJSTSD-04-2018-0031 |
| Pages | 102-120 |
| Author | Mikiale Gebreslase Gebremariam,Yuming Zhu,Naveed Ahmad,Dawit Nega Bekele |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management,Environmental technology & innovation |
Influencing sustainability by
controlling future brownfields in
Africa: a case study of Ethiopia
Mikiale Gebreslase Gebremariam, Yuming Zhu and Naveed Ahmad
Department of Management,
Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China, and
Dawit Nega Bekele
Global Center for Environmental Remediation,
University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
Abstract
Purpose –The increasing African population and economic growth leading to urbanisation continues to
increase the need to redevelop brownfields as a strategy of encouraging sustainable development of cities, in
particular in Ethiopia. However, the adoption of brownfield redevelopment in Ethiopia is at initial stage.
Thus, the purpose of this paper is to highlight the framework based on grey-incidence decision-making
approach to manage brownfields in African countries by taking Ethiopia as case example. The grey-incidence
decision-making model integrates multiple factors such as economic, social, environmental, technical and
associated risks and provides an effective decision-making and management tool for environmental
practitioners and government agencies.
Design/methodology/approach –Questionnaires were used to collect data on terms and definitions of
brownfield. The questions were prepared on the basis of currently used definitions developed by a number of
developed countries. Moreover, this study utilises a grey-incidence decision-making approach to help in
management and decision-making for the implementation of brownfield redevelopment projects (BRPs) in the
remediated sites.
Findings –Standard definition of brownfield and essential guidelines for brownfield redevelopment is
proposed for Ethiopian context. The research findings were tested and verified using literature data and
survey from major stakeholders. In addition, the grey-incidence decision-making approach is applied for the
evaluation of BRPs in the remediated sites. A framework is proposed to control future brownfields for African
countries by taking Ethiopia as a case example.
Originality/value –This research stresses the significance of an urban structure to address sustainable
development, and the need to consider redevelopment of brownfields and identify the potential for a specific
government policy framework. This research provides the best opportunity for Ethiopia by devising an urban
land policy and create a strategy to contribute social, economic, financial and environmental benefits. It also
provides a foundation to solve environmental issues by involving all major stakeholders, including
community citizens, environmentalists and government agencies, and it also serves as guidelines to
transform brownfields into Greenfields; and finally, it contributes to achieve the 2030 UN global goals.
Keywords Environment, Guidelines, Contamination, Brownfield, Grey-incidence decisions-making,
Sustainable development goals (SDG’s)
Paper type Case study
Introduction
Albert Einstein said that “intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them”(Ushakov,
2007). Unlike in the industrialised world, the concept of brownfield is not widely recognised
on the African continent as a whole and particularly in Ethiopia. However, the increasing
population growth and economic development in Ethiopia, and the significant role of
brownfield redevelopment will be investigated as a strategy of encouraging sustainable
World Journal of Science,
Technology and Sustainable
Development
Vol. 16 No. 3, 2019
pp. 102-120
© Emerald PublishingLimited
2042-5945
DOI 10.1108/WJSTSD-04-2018-0031
Received 27 April 2018
Revised 9 December 2018
Accepted 6 March 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2042-5945.htm
The authors would like to dedicate this contemporary work to the Blessed Mother Mary and to
Archangel St Michael. Lastbut not least, this project was supported by the ProvincialNatural Science
Foundationin Shaanxi, China through the Project“Research on Risk Allocationand Income Distribution
Mechanism of Public Private Partnership forBrownfield Regeneration Project”(2017JM7002).
102
WJSTSD
16,3
development in Ethiopian cities. From the developing countries point of view, brownfield
sites are the result of waste materials from air pollution control facilities, wastewater
treatment plants, community activities, agricultural operations, mining, commercial,
industrial and other interrelated problems, such as urban sprawl and residential segregation
(Van Rooyen, 2001). These environmental issues are creating hurdles to achieve
environmental excellence in Ethiopia. Brownfield redevelopment projects (BRPs) are the
practical solution to achieve environmental excellence and sustainable cities in Ethiopia
(Figure 1).
Brownfield problems are capturing a deepening concentration of government
policy makers, real estate developers, investors, and researchers. There are a suspected
500,000–600,000 contaminated brownfield sites in the USA (Simons, 1998), with around
362,000 in Germany (National Round Table on the Environment the Economy, 2003). There
is still an ambiguity about the common understanding of brownfield and its basic concept.
However, an initial effort has been made by the US Environmental Protection Agency
(USEPA) who defined brownfields as underutilised land where redevelopment or expansion
is not an easy task due to real or perceived environmental contamination (Van Vliet, 2003).
There is a different perspective about the definition of brownfield in the UK planning
context. In the UK, a brownfield site can be any kind of property that has been previously
developed for non-rural purposes (Alker et al., 2000).
It is clear from the above definitions that brownfield land is that having real or perceived
contamination problems, affected by previous use, ruined and underused properties in
urban areas that require redevelopment fo r sustainable development. Worldwide,
brownfield redevelopment land strategy is taken as sustainable land use strategy due to
the focus on the environmental and health protection; they have a major role in the
contribution towards economic development and community revitalisation (Brebbia, 2006;
De Sousa, 2003, 2005; Dixon, 2007).
In order to achieve the sustainable development goals, the Ethiopian government is
collaborating with different international private and governmental agencies in order to
create a green economy and save the country from the negative effects of environment and
conventional development. Considering all the points, such as a greater growth in
population, urban growth, development through green economy, the Ethiopian Government
is trying to encourage the city municipalities to adopt brownfield redevelopment as a
strategy for sustainable development.
Factory
Water Table
Well
Rupture in
Underground Tank
Contaminant
Plume Contaminants
eventually flow into
surface water
Groundwater Flow
Figure 1.
Sources of brownfield
sites
103
Controlling
future
brownfields
in Africa
To continue reading
Request your trial