Vol. 1 No. 1 (2023)
Quantifying Embodied Carbon in South Sudan's Road Reconstruction: A 2021–2026 Infrastructure Assessment
Abstract
Large-scale road reconstruction is a critical component of national development in post-conflict regions, yet the associated embodied carbon emissions remain unquantified, creating a significant knowledge gap for sustainable infrastructure planning. This report aims to estimate the total embodied carbon emissions from major road reconstruction projects and to identify the primary material-based sources of these emissions within the national programme. A process-based life cycle assessment (LCA) was applied to project data, using a bottom-up material inventory for bitumen, cement, aggregates, and steel. Emissions were modelled using $E = \sum_{i} (M_i \times EF_i) + \varepsilon$, where $M_i$ is material quantity, $EF_i$ the emission factor, and $\varepsilon$ the model error. Uncertainty was propagated using Monte Carlo simulation to generate 95% confidence intervals. Cement production for concrete and stabilisation was the dominant source, contributing approximately 62% of the total estimated embodied carbon. The mean total emissions were estimated at 1.8 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, with a 95% confidence interval of [1.5, 2.1] million tonnes. The material-intensive nature of current road reconstruction practices results in substantial embodied carbon, underscoring an urgent need to integrate low-carbon strategies into infrastructure procurement and design. Prioritise the use of locally sourced, low-clinker cement alternatives and optimise structural designs to reduce material consumption. Infrastructure procurement policies should mandate carbon accounting and set reduction targets. embodied carbon, life cycle assessment, road infrastructure, sustainable construction, post-conflict development This study provides the first quantitative assessment of embodied carbon from a national road reconstruction programme, establishing a critical baseline for future low-carbon infrastructure policy.
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