Circular Innovations for a sustainable future

Human beings have depleted natural resources, cut down trees in forests and led to pollution and global warming. It is high time that we turn to protect our nature and start preserving it. Through one of our pillars, Innovative Building Methodologies, we continue to raise awareness about climate change, global warming, deforestation and loss of biodiversity, rise joins the global community in this mission.

Over the past two years, we have embarked on the journey to expose the global community, mainly Basotho, to the economic opportunities that come with protecting and caring about the environment. The project aimed to empower local researchers, enhance sustainability in construction and address climate change challenges. 

With this project six materials were looked at in depth: 3 indigenous materials being Sandstone, Compressed Earth Blocks, Grass/Straw and 3 repurposed materials being Hemp, Wool, and Packaging Waste.  

rise has embarked on this research journey to address Lesotho’s gaps in knowledge, production and use of sustainable locally sourced construction materials. Both desk research and empirical findings were used to better understand Lesotho’s indigenous, and repurposed building materials and techniques to see how those can form the basis for a sustainable environmentally friendly future. 

A catalog and Materials Spec Comparison Table of the research materials has been created and can be found in the information Library at www.riseint.org. rise continues to advocate for policy change and implementation of some of the materials for the benefit of the environment and the communities to which they belong in creating employment opportunities and economic growth.