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The consideration of alternative sources of material for construction is imperative to reduce the environmental impacts as two-fifths of the carbon footprint of materials is attributed to the construction industry. One alternative material with improved biodegradable attributes which can contribute to carbon offset is bamboo. The commercialisation of bamboo in modern infrastructures has significant potential to address few of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) itemised by the United Nations, namely SDG 9 about industry, innovation and infrastructure. Other SDGs covering sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production and climate action are also indirectly addressed when utilising sustainable construction materials. Being a natural material however, the full commercialisation of materials such as bamboo is constrained by a lack of durability. Besides fracture mechanisms arising from load-induced cracks and thermal modification, the durability of bamboo material is greatly impaired by biotic and abiotic factors, which equally affect its natural rate of degradation, hence fracture behaviour. In first instance, this chapter outlines the various factors leading to the durability limitations in bamboo material due to load-induced cracks and natural degradation based on recent findings in this field from the author's own work and from past literature. Secondly, part of this chapter is devoted to a new approach of processing the surge of information about the varied aspects of bamboo durability by considering the powerful technique of artificial intelligence (AI), specifically the artificial neural network (ANN) for prediction modelling. Further use of AI-enabled technologies could have an impactful outcome on the life cycle assessment of bamboo-based structures to address the growing challenges outlined by the United Nations.

This chapter examines the bamboo-based livelihoods of the tribal artisans of Tripura and studies entrepreneurship, through the perspective of innovative small and medium enterprises, as a way to achieve sustainable development. Under a cluster-based approach of the Tripura Bamboo Mission, this chapter intends to understand how tribal entrepreneur’s belief in sustainability motivates them to develop and enhance livelihood opportunities. It is in addressing this basic question of an entrepreneur’s ‘drive’ in achieving sustainable livelihood that the development goals are met.

The Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) built on a country's centuries-old know-how in handicraft production, the images, stories, symbols, music, dances and the likes have the potential to contribute significantly to the country's GDP and socio-economic development. Particularly in developing countries where there is high rate of unemployment among the youth. We used a case study research to explore the experiences, challenges and opportunities of businesses in the cultural and creative sector. To do so, we selected a start-up in Ethiopia that specialises in designing and producing culturally inspired quality and sustainable lifestyle products. Specifically, the chapter highlights the potential of indigenous knowledge and skill coupled with innovation in designing contemporary products and the process of producing them for the individual entrepreneurs, as well as the promotion and preservation of the country's cultural heritage. It also indicates the need to utilise abundant but underutilised resources to produce value-added and sustainable products in the region.

The growth of tourism development in Malang makes some regions optimize their tourism potential, leading to economic growth in Indonesia. Malang regency has several tourism villages with the concept of sustainable tourism. Using leverage analysis from the multidimensional scaling approach (MDS), we find two sensitive attributes. An analytical hierarchy process (AHP) test was conducted, resulting in the best strategy for each tourism village: developing strawberry-picking tour for Pujon Kidul and new tourism packages related to water attraction for Sanankerto and developing Bromo volcano tourism package for Gubugklakah. These strategies are believed to increase the development of tourist villages without compromising their sustainability.

In the first millennium AD when international trade brought silver coins to Madagascar, they were melted down for jewelry or cut into pieces to meet the needs of small-scale local trade. The Merina culture of the highland interior saw in the original uncut silver coin an image of completeness and perfection. Such coins became obligatory ritual offerings acknowledging the sanctity of the sovereign. “Ritual economy” is brought into fine grain relief when pieces of “all-purpose money” are used in ritual prestation and when markets become a symbol of morality indexing political legitimacy. Today traditions of the highlands have co-opted the royal offering of “uncut coins” for local ritual purposes and local ritual specialists engage in symbolic assaults on “all-purpose money.” This chapter draws upon Merina royal oral traditions, ethnohistoric accounts, and contemporary ethnographic work with Betsileo ritual specialists to argue that the poetic and the syncretic necessarily enter into discussions of the economic.

Composites based on fiber are commonly used in high-performance building materials. The composites mostly use petrochemically derived fibers like polyester and e-glass, due to their advantageous material features like high stiffness and strength. All the same, these fibers also have important shortcomings related to energy consumption, recyclability, initial processing expense, resulting health hazards, and sustainability. Increasing environmental awareness and new sustainable building technologies are driving the research, development, and usage of “green” building materials, especially the development of biomaterials.

In this chapter, the natural fiber evaluation approach is applied, which covers a diverse set of criteria. Consequently, the comparative assessment of diverse natural fiber types is applied through the use of an expert decision system approach. The best performing fiber choice is made by comparatively evaluating the materials related to green building. The proposed fiber can be used and applied by green building material manufacturing companies in various countries or locations as a reference when selecting the fiber with the best performance.

Flood is one of the most common disasters in Malaysia especially during northeast monsoon season (November–March). This chapter analyses flood disaster management strategies in Pahang on preparations and vulnerabilities of the local communities along the Pahang River Basin, especially in Temerloh. In Malaysia, the National Security Council (MKN) is the organisation that is fully responsible in managing the national disaster management system, which provides an effective relieve mechanism for flood disaster. This study utilises two type of sources which are primary and secondary sources to collect the data. The primary data were collected in June 2015 through a survey of 202 respondents affected by the flood by using semi-structured questionnaires through an interview conducted in person. Meanwhile, the secondary data were collected from the local authorities. From both sources, the survey shows that 31% of the population in Temerloh did not get an early warning notification, more than half involving those in the rural area. Lack of efficient early warning system became one of the vulnerability factors affecting local community. About 78% of respondents have been relocated to the relief centres around Temerloh. Agricultural income dropped by 31.2% as the result of damaged crops and cessation of small businesses, which contributed to the increase in hardcore-poor category by 6.5%. The study concludes that it is essential to review the effectiveness of flood disaster management strategies in Pahang to minimise the aftermath impact of flooding to the community.

Approximately 70 years ago, descendants of Trinidadian enslaved Africans created an instrument from steel drums discarded by the US Navy. Since then, the steelpan has attracted entrepreneurs from around the world because of its unique sound, and, as the quintessential instrument for the pre-Lenten Trinidad Carnival, it also entices tourists. Its production did not stay under the “breadfruit tree”; however, as they are now mass produced and even patented abroad. Some argue this amounts to cultural piracy, as the steelpan is more than an artifact but is the mentifactual property of a people. Thus, the question remains whether the authenticity of the steelpan is lost when not crafted within the landscape of Trinidad.