Preparing the South African Built Environment for Climate Change Resilience (SABER)

Buildings are a major contributor to climate change, being responsible for ~30% of global carbon emissions. However, most building regulatory systems and policies do not address the issue of climate change, creating greater vulnerability to environmental risks. In South Africa this problem is exacerbated because there is a formal building economy and a parallel informal building economy. While both are vulnerable to climate change, people accommodated in the informal building economy are most at risk. 

This project will address this issue by: 
(i) Undertaking research into the performance of South African buildings both now and for projected future climates. 
(ii) Assisting in the development of guidance that enables South Africa’s building regulations to reduce carbon emissions and provide resilience to a changing climate. 
(iii) Working with our South African partners to embed the results of the above research into an educational context and aid in the upskilling of students and built environment practitioners in conjunction with the South African built environment research institute (CSIR). 

This project will be conducted in collaboration with Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa and will involve some travel to South Africa. Hence, the ideal candidate will demonstrate an understanding of the South African context, and be able to travel there as needed, preferably without the need for a visa. They will have an undergraduate degree or higher in a built environment discipline. An understanding of climate change, building performance simulation and the regulatory framework is highly desirable.