Development of infrastructure projects sustainability assessment model

• Published in: Environment, development and sustainability development and sustainability, 2022-06, Vol.24 (6), p.7493-7531
• Main Authors: Hosny, Hossam E., Ibrahim, Ahmed H., Eldars, Elin A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Decision makers; Decision making; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Economic development; Economic Geology; Economic Growth; Economic models; Economics; Environment; Environmental Economics; Environmental impact; Environmental Management; Evaluation; Impact analysis; Infrastructure; Questionnaires; Review; Social factors; Sustainability; Sustainable Development
• ISSN: 1387-585X; 1573-2975
• DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01791-5

While infrastructure investments can have a significant impact on economic growth, they can also have a negative impact on the environmental and social aspects. As a result, there has lately been a strong trend toward assessing infrastructure projects based on their expected sustainability performance. The primary contribution of this paper is the development of a model for assessing the sustainability of infrastructure projects. 100 infrastructure sustainability factors were collected from previous research to cover the various phases of any infrastructure project. These factors were divided into the three main pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental, and social, with percentages of 50%, 30%, and 20%, respectively. A questionnaire of 100 infrastructure development experts from various sectors was conducted to rate the sustainability factors within each of the three main pillars according to their relative importance. The most important 27 factors were chosen. Another questionnaire was conducted for the 27 factors, using the AHP technique to identify the priority vectors in each of the three main pillars, as well as the selected factors within each of them. A recommended scale was created to be used as a yardstick to measure the proposed model’s input factors. For the three main pillars, three sustainability assessment models were developed. As a result, an overall sustainability assessment model was developed. With this model, the proposed infrastructure projects can be evaluated and ranked according to their expected sustainability outcomes. Consequently, decision-makers can successfully plan for the sustainable development of the infrastructure projects within certain specified boundaries and restrictions.