WC133 NovDec 2023 - Magazine - Page 32
STUDENT SCIENCE
Leading with LEED
Building a water-sustainable future in
higher education
BY KULSUM FATIMA
G
REEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION systems serve
as platforms for Higher Education Institutions (HEI)
to showcase their commitment to sustainable practices.
Among these, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system stands out
as one of the most widely applied and universally accepted
green building certification systems implemented in the higher
education institutional landscape. This prevalence of LEED
highlights its substantial influence on educational landscapes,
infrastructure design, institutional ideologies, sustainable policies, and sustainable practices.
The “uncharted waters” of water sustainability
LEED primarily addresses water sustainability through demand
reduction strategies, which are heavily influenced by the personal choices individuals make when using water. The domain
of “occupant behaviour” is a key determinant of water usage in
buildings, and is referred to as “uncharted waters” in this article. Such choices not only define the sustainable behavioural
norm but are also instrumental in enhancing the achievement
of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG)
6 “clean water and sanitation for all.”
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WATER C AN ADA • NOV EMBER/ DECEMBER 2023
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Kulsum Fatima
Kulsum Fatima is a doctoral
candidate SAPL at the
University of Calgary.
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
