The IRMA Community
Newsletters
Research IRM
Click a keyword to search titles using our InfoSci-OnDemand powered search:
|
Environmental Impact of Healthcare Facilities: Energy, Waste, Water, Emissions
|
|
Author(s): M. Vinayaka (Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi, India), B. Lokeshappa (University BDT College of Engineering, India)and Shanmukha N. T. (Government Engineering College, Krishnarajpet, India)
Copyright: 2026
Pages: 16
Source title:
Sustainable Environment Monitoring Systems for Medical Care
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Calin Ciufudean (Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Romania)
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3373-5636-5.ch001
Purchase
|
Abstract
The healthcare industry, which should be the most nature-friendly, is ironically one of the biggest causes of environmental degradation. Worldwide, healthcare is responsible for about 4.4% of the total greenhouse gas emissions, which puts it among the major contributors of climate change. This chapter, through a systems-based analytical framework combining Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Material Flow Analysis (MFA), and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), reveals the Healthcare Environmental Paradox the conflict of health promotion resulting in environmental harm. It also talks about the healthcare sector's primary causes of the environmental crisis that include energy consumption, waste generation, water utilization, and emissions from healthcare operations. Pointing out the current shifts in the healthcare sustainability landscape, the chapter wraps up by enumerating the climate change mitigation measures and the upcoming research topics related to the circular economy, green chemistry, digital health, and climate-resilient healthcare infrastructure.
Related Content
|
M. Vinayaka, B. Lokeshappa, Shanmukha N. T..
© 2026.
16 pages.
|
|
Kholis Kholis Ernawati.
© 2026.
32 pages.
|
|
Cristina Elena Turcu, Corneliu Octavian Turcu.
© 2026.
40 pages.
|
|
Muhammad Usman Tariq.
© 2026.
28 pages.
|
|
Gaganpreet Kaur, Amandeep Kaur, Ramandeep Sandhu.
© 2026.
22 pages.
|
|
C. V. Suresh Babu, V. Karunya Lydia, M. Jeevananthan, S. Sidharth.
© 2026.
26 pages.
|
|
Renu Mishra, Adarsh Tiwari, Sneha Sinha, Anmol Kr. Sah, Mamta Narwaria.
© 2026.
24 pages.
|
|
|