ABSTRACT
Unsustainable patterns of consumption and production are the root cause of the planetary crises: climate change, depletion of natural resources, biodiversity loss, and pollution and are still persisting. These crises, and related environmental degradation, threaten human well-being and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. We humans are responsible for this, and hence each individual should work together to improve resource efficiency, reduce waste and pollution, and shape a new circular economy. The construction industry is facing a number of challenges related to depletion of resources, accessibility to affordable materials, disposal of waste materials and generation of greenhouse gases. There is immense potential for natural resources such as earth, fibres, herbal extracts, animal dung etc. worldwide to be utilized as raw materials for building construction. On the other hand, the world is facing the global challenge of unscientific disposal of agricultural wastes. This chapter examines the effective utilization of earth and other wastes from natural resources locally available in the State of Kerala, South India, for the attainment of sustainable development goals in the context of sustainable building materials.
