Framework of Environmental Rating System for Home Buildings in Oman

This work was based on analyses of the following three issues: the detailed clauses of Agenda 21, a comparison of international rating systems, and the impact of the local context of Oman. The platform of Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development is used to verify and test various international rating systems and study their common concerns as well as how each of them prioritizes certain categories relevant to the local context of Oman. A study is conducted on the following constraints of the built environment of Oman: water, energy, materials and construction, sustainable sites, indoor environmental quality, waste management, and integrated development. The study concludes with a proposal of framework of an environmental rating system with a hierarchy of three levels, including categories, indicators, and parameters. It is to be named the Oman Building Environmental Certification (OMBEC), and it will be a pilot rating system for present-day homes. The study is intended to develop other rating systems in the future to address more building types, such as schools, healthcare and office buildings, and neighborhood development.