Building construction industry that deals with the basic requirement of shelter is amongst the most vital of all other sectors. Human beings have seen rapid growth and development ever since the onset of civilization. The science of building construction too has touched great unimaginable heights. Attractive designs and textures adorn our dwellings making us feeling proud and happy. At the same time, it is noteworthy that several other elements such as heavenly bodies, nature and supernatural forces all exert their influence on us. The only prudent way out is to strike a chord of harmony with these forces so as to ensure a pleasant living. Vaastu Shastra is that Indian ancient science that provides guidelines to design and maintain a harmonious living condition in the buildings. It therefore becomes imperative to understand and assimilate the Vaastu ideas into modern architecture. Architecture is the art and science of designing spaces. It is aimed at creating comfortable and congenial living conditions for the users. Vaastu Shastra studies help the architect to take a more holistic picture into account. With the help of the case studies, the research article is intended to understand and emphasize the role of Vaastu Shastra and its practical applications.

On 24 August 2016, a magnitude of 6.2 earthquake hit the Apennines Mountains in central Italy, devastating the small towns of Amartrice, Accumoli and Pescare del Tronto. At least 293 lives were lost. This is the latest in a series of heavy earthquakes to hit Italy in recent years. The country is particularly exposed to earthquakes risk as it is located where continental plates collide and building stock is vulnerable. Yet just over 1% of residential buildings are insured against earthquakes. How can Italy and its residents better prepare for future events?

Predictions of climate change have a high interest in semiarid regions like the province of Alicante (SE Spain). It is expected that the decrease of precipitation and the increase of air temperature according to climate change forecasts, could impact on the recharge to aquifers. In this context, the aim of this study was explore the possible impact of climate changes forecasts on recharge in a small aquifer southeastern Spain. Air temperature and precipitation data in two climate change scenarios, B2-low and A2-high have been coupled to HYDROBAL model. The HYDROBAL software is a useful eco-hydrological model with daily resolution for assessing water balances in different vegetation types in a semiarid region of southeastern Spain. Based on two models, HYDROBAL and DISRUM, water balance was calculated on two scales (vegetation plots and watershed). Over the latter period (2071-2099), we expect reduced average annual groundwater recharge, of up to 17% (49 mm), if compared to the baseline period (1961-1990).

The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) [1] was introduced in Canada to represent a summary measure of ambient air pollution and air health effects. The AQHI is primarily applied to inform the Canadian public of health risks associated with ambient air pollution. It is used as a scaled indicator of the environmental health risk. The AQHI is calculated hourly based on a formula that uses the rolling three-hour average concentration levels of three air pollutants. These are the gases: ozone (O3) at ground level, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM2.5 - particles of air pollutants with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less). The formula used to calculate the index is as follows: AQHI=(100*10/10.4)*(exp(0.000537*[O3])+exp(0.000487*[PM2.5]) + exp(0.000871*[NO2]) - 3) The AQHI value is defi ned based on the relative risk of mortality associated with these three air pollutants. The coeffi cients in the above formula were estimated using the relation between acute increases in air pollution and associations with increased risk of death as determined using data from major cities across Canada [1]. Various combinations of air polutants were realized to determine such indices[2]. In China, the index is based on PM10 (particles of air pollutants with a diameter not greater than 10 micrometers) and NO2 [3,4]; the Russian index incorporates formaldehyde, carbon monoxide (CO) and total suspended particles (TSP) [5]. Air pollutants such as PM10, sulphur dioxide (SO2) and NO2 are used in the European regional index [6]. The values of the AQHI are reported hourly on a scale of 1 – 10+. The AQHI provides air quality and health risk information using only a single number. Its values on web pages are often represented by colours ranging from light blue (1, no risk) to dark brown (10+, very high risk). The values can be used to implement health protective behaviours (reduce and/or change and/or reschedule outdoor activity) and decrease exposure to ambient air pollution.

Vermicomposting is a biotechnological process, in which organic materials converted as valuable product by earthworms. The nutrient profile of vermicompost is higher than traditional compost. The vermicompost alters the soil fertility in different ways, such as better aeration, porosity, bulk density, water holding capacity, pH, electrical conductivity, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium content. The application of the vermicompost is enriches the soil microorganism, plant growth (size of leaf, height, width and weight) and nutrient content of the yield. The high concentrations of vermicompost may delay plant growth due to the concentration of soluble salts. As a result, vermicomposts should be applied at required quantity to produced higher yield. In this overview describe about the organic waste management, vermicompost, earthworms species and economical importance of the vermicompost.

Construction professionals and craftsmen are expected to exhibit high level of professionalism by adhering to their professional ethics when discharging their duties. This study observed that unethical professional practices and poor craftsmanship on construction projects consequences are evident in the Nigerian Construction Industry (NCI). This negative trend affects performance of construction projects and the role of the industry in enhancing the economic growth of the country. Hence, the study sought to identify these effects to provide remedies for curbing them. Explorative studies and questionnaire survey methods were used to obtained data from interviews and interactions with construction professionals and craftsmen. Data obtained were analysed using SPSS for reliability, correlation tests, signifi cance test, and descriptive statistics. Result reveals identified effects of unethical professional practices and poor or unskilled craftsmanship to be severed on projects performance. Amongst them are: vulnerability to frequent maintenance work, delays, cost overruns and lack of adequate training for craftsmen are the extremely severe effects. Adherence to professional ethics, transparency and accountability in contract administration, the use of approved construction designs from certified professionals, training and retraining of both professionals and craftsmen is considered highly effective for curbing unethical professional practices and poor craftsmanship. The research recommends construction professional bodies, regulatory bodies and the government to adopt the research findings on the remedies and these organizations should be synergized in implementing the remedies. The research result will assist in curbing unethical practices and poor craftsmanship, thus, facilitates professionalism in the NCI to meet international best practice.