Edinburgh Napier University

  The knowledge and understanding of the environmental related problems associated with development activities has increased rapidly in recent years. Consequently, arise in adoption of appraisal tools for monitoring environmental performance is also evidenced in a number of countries. In Sub-Sahara African (SSA) region, for instance, policy and regulation reform has been intensified over the past two decades demonstrating governments’ initiatives in addressing environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability. This paper reviews the extent of contribution the policy instruments make in monitoring and evaluating environmental impacts related to the building industry in the SSA. Basing on the reviewed literature of an ongoing PhD research, it is noted that there is need for appropriate information and data on which the proposed policies are to be based. Also different building stakeholders, researchers and the public sector need to participate not only in the policy formulation but also in defining sustainability in the local context and be considered as the basis for policy formulation.