The Technologies and Costs of Buildings for Housing Purposes
This study defines and critically assesses the technologies used in building housing units in the occupied Palestinian territories. The technologies used in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip were reviewed so as to identify the differences in in the two regions. The analysis focused particularly on strengths and weaknesses of these technologies: their ability to produce housing units in appropriate time and at reasonable cost; compatibility with global standards for affordable housing; sound safety; ability to resist the forces of nature; sustainability; energy-efficiency; eco-friendly compliance; and sensible convenience. The study is particularly important given the vital role of housing in the construction industry – one of the country's major production sectors and labor generators. It attracts more than 80 percent of private investment, with a GDP contribution that reached 10 percent in 2013. The sector has backward and forward linkages to other production and service industries. Thus, an effective development in the housing sector, in particular, serves as a lever for these other industries. Besides, the housing sector output has implications for the physical well-being of people in addition to their mental, psychological, and social development.