Nairobi's slums face significant environmental challenges due to rapid urbanization and inadequate infrastructure. Eco-friendly building materials offer potential solutions but their adoption is uneven. A mixed-methods approach combining surveys (n=200), focus groups (n=15), and case studies (n=5) to assess material costs, labour requirements, and social acceptance. Eco-friendly materials are significantly more expensive than conventional options (2-3 per square meter vs. 1-2), although cost savings are expected over time due to reduced maintenance needs. Community engagement is crucial for successful implementation. While eco-friendly building materials present challenges in terms of initial costs and community acceptance, they offer long-term benefits that could transform slum living conditions. Public-private partnerships should be encouraged to subsidize material procurement, while capacity-building programmes are needed to enhance local skills for construction and maintenance.
Kinyanjui et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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