Water insecurity is a critical public-health challenge in Africa's urban informal settlements, where most of the population often lacks access to household taps. In these settings, water fetching is disproportionately performed by women. While water fetching is physically laborious and exposes women to multiple risks, the water-insecurity literature has predominantly focused on household experiences, ignoring women's water-collection journeys. This paper uses the water journey as a window into the embodied dimensions of water insecurity. Combining theoretical insights from embodiment, embodied political ecology of health, and time geographies, we use video-recorded walking interviews to analyze women's everyday water journeys in Ntopwa, an urban informal settlement in Blantyre, Malawi, from initial decision making through exposure to water-fetching risks and household practices regarding use and storage. We identify three principal sources of environmental risk- terrain, built environment, and human behavior-that present challenges for water collectors. Using the walking interview as a heuristic, we show how the seemingly simple practice of water fetching is compounded by complex decision making, constant spatiotemporal trade-offs, and exposure to diverse risks, all of which have embodied health consequences. Based on our findings, we conclude that interventions seeking to improve household water insecurity must consider the embodied effects of water-fetching journeys. This study also provides methodological insights into using walking interviews and videos for water and health research.

Sustainable practice is considered a significant practice in modern construction for infrastructure development as it promotes economic growth and improves quality of life. Despite the importance of sustainable practices in construction, few studies have explored the implementation of these practices in low-income countries like Malawi. Therefore, this study aims to assess the extent of the implementation of sustainable construction practices (SCPs) in building infrastructure projects in Malawi. Following an in-depth literature review, 22 sustainable construction practices and 13 drivers were identified. A survey of 193 construction professionals was conducted, and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Relative Importance Index (RII). The findings revealed that economic practices such as efficient allocation of resources, use of quick construction tools and a coordinated supply chain in the construction process are widely implemented with emphasis on the economic aspect of sustainability for infrastructure projects in Malawi. The study further identified global trends and industry standards, social and health benefits, market demand and awareness and access to green technologies and innovation as the main drivers for adopting and implementing SCPs in Malawi. This study provides policymakers and stakeholders with valuable insights to develop policy regulations that would improve the sustainability performance of infrastructure projects.

The advent of BIM in the construction sector has brought about a significant change in the construction process of public projects in developed and developing countries. However, there is limited information on BIM implementation in low-income countries. Therefore, this study aims to critically analyse factors influencing BIM implementation for public projects in Malawi. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify the factors driving BIM implementation. However, to assess the criticality of these numerous drivers, a questionnaire survey was administered to purposively select participants in the construction industry. The key factors influencing BIM implementation for public projects in Malawi were analysed using the weighted mean. It was identified that technological and process factors were the key drivers for BIM implementation, encompassing the availability of BIM software that allows for smooth integration with other software and the availability of BIM knowledge resources, the development of standardised datasets for managing BIM, and the availability of clear protocol for data exchange, among others. This study provides a theoretical framework for evaluating factors influencing BIM implementation in low-income countries. The study also provides policymakers and industry stakeholders with comprehensive strategies to facilitate BIM implementation in the Malawian construction industry.

In developed countries, the government primarily supports the adoption of BIM. However, adoption is typically driven by the preferences of industry professionals among construction organizations in developing countries, who rely on their BIM awareness and competence. Thus, BIM competence and awareness have become an important indicator of organizational BIM readiness. To assess the level of BIM readiness, this study aims to determine the BIM competence and awareness levels among Malawian construction organizations. The study surveyed 189 construction professionals and analyzed the data using descriptive statistics and reliability tests. The findings revealed that there is a moderate level of BIM awareness among the organizations. The organizations have BIM-capable software. However, the professionals within these organizations possess a limited proficiency in BIM technical abilities, particularly in performing BIM-related services and executing BIM-related tasks. Therefore, construction organizations in Malawi should prepare for the widespread adoption of BIM by addressing the insufficient technical skills and limited awareness of BIM among their workforce. Furthermore, the study indicates that engaging in collaborative efforts could serve as a valuable foundation for the adoption of BIM within construction organizations.

The implementation of sustainable construction practices (SCPs) is recognised as a significant approach to enhancing the sustainability performance of infrastructure projects globally. However, the adoption and implementation of SCPs in low-income countries like Malawi remain in its early stages due to several challenges. This study provides an empirical analysis of the challenges hindering the implementation of SCPs in building infrastructure projects in Malawi. The study employed a systematic review and a quantitative method with a questionnaire survey among 193 construction professionals within the Malawian construction industry. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, one-sample t-tests, and exploratory factor analysis. The results revealed that higher costs of sustainable building processes, lack of information on sustainable building products, and higher costs of sustainable building materials are the major challenges for SCPs implementation in Malawi. The factor analysis further revealed that institutional limitations were the most critical, followed by inadequate technical experience, while financial constraints were the least significant challenge. These findings emphasise the urgent need to provide financial incentives, capacity-building programs for industry professionals, and supportive regulatory frameworks to facilitate the implementation of SCPs. This study provides practical insights for policymakers and stakeholders to enhance the sustainability of infrastructure projects in the construction sector.

The implementation of sustainable construction practices (SCPs) has been identified as a significant approach to promoting and enhancing the sustainability performance of infrastructure projects globally. However, the adoption and implementation of SCPs in low-income countries like Malawi is still in its early stages and has faced several challenges. Therefore, this study aims to provide an empirical analysis of the challenges hindering the implementation of SCPs in building infrastructure projects in Malawi. The study employed a systematic review and a quantitative method with a questionnaire survey among 193 construction professionals within the Malawian construction industry. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, One-Sample t-test and exploratory factor analysis. The results revealed that higher costs of sustainable building processes, lack of information on sustainable building products, and higher costs of sustainable building materials are the most critical challenges to the implementation of SCPs in Malawi. The factor analysis further revealed that institutional limitation was the most critical component, followed by inadequate technical experience, and the least critical component was financial. This study provides practical insights for policy reforms, robust regulatory frameworks, and well-equipped institutions with the necessary expertise to promote the widespread adoption and successful implementation of SCPs in the construction industry.