Kuwait is an arid country with one of the world’s highest consumption rates per capita. It suffers from severe water scarcity. Annual national expenditure on direct water supply and distribution in Kuwait is substantial, which is a burden on the country’s economy. The nation’s dependency on imported food due to water scarcity is also considered a primary political and security concern. These conditions call for much more efficient use and management of water in Kuwait. This study aims to undertake an extensive analysis of the country’s water resources and review current management strategies for better planning and management. The main sources of freshwater in Kuwait are seawater desalination, brackish groundwater, and recycling wastewater. Seawater desalination is the primary source that produces 61% of freshwater for drinking, agriculture, and other water-dependent industries. Other water management measures related to rainfall drainage systems and water supply networks are also employed to better utilize scarce water. Multiple government organizations that enforce several legal frameworks oversee long-term and acute water-related issues. Regional neighbors also face similar climatic conditions to Kuwait and suffer from water scarcity and associated food shortages. Water conservation and cultivating water-efficient crops have been identified as effective measures to overcome this issue. However, due to the small size and dry arid climate in Kuwait, its future is challenging. It must invest in modern, innovative, and effective solutions to preserve the sustainability of its freshwater resources.
The substantial efforts made in implementing DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly) in construction developments thus far have been scattered. Past research has focused on the operational practice of volumetric and non-volumetric assembly, component manufacture and sub-assembly and modular building. This paper seeks to cover a comprehensive review with case studies to explore how DfMA can be leveraged in the design and delivery of school buildings. Three case studies were conducted to demonstrate how DfMA methods were applied in actual projects identifying the challenges and issues confronted. The adopted techniques and involved challenges in school building projects were identified along with the capability and risk profiles that come with the opportunities to lead DfMA projects. Reengineering as an aspect to engage in DfMA-led construction developments, and how this may impact current services of a construction firm were evaluated. The results reveal effective partnership models to establish a sustainable business model for DfMA school buildings followed by a project feedback collection model. The partnership models developed provide guidance to establish relationships to achieve the maximum potential of DfMA in school projects. The project feedback collection model promotes better circulation of lessons learned for the advancement in future projects.
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