GREEN HOSPITALS: ‘’WHO’’ PRINCIPLES AND ‘’3R’’ STRATEGIES


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Çalışkan B. N.

International Congress on Keycivilization & Futurehenge (KEF), Erzurum, Türkiye, 18 - 20 Aralık 2025, ss.383-390, (Tam Metin Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Erzurum
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.383-390
  • Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
  • Atatürk Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Hospitals, characterized by high levels of energy and resource consumption, constitute critical building types in terms of sustainability due to their significant environmental impacts. In this context, the green hospital approach has been developed, grounded in principles such as energy and water efficiency, waste management, the use of environmentally friendly materials, and design strategies that are compatible with natural systems. The strategies shaped in line with the seven core principles defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) play a crucial role in ensuring sustainability in healthcare facilities. The green approach in hospitals encompasses solutions that support sustainability in buildings through energy efficiency, nature-compatible design, smart and adaptive systems, effective waste and water management, the use of alternative energy sources, and the preference for natural, recycled, and low-emission materials. Accordingly, this study aims to draw attention to green strategies implemented in healthcare facilities and to discuss the 3R principles adopted within these practices. Within the scope of the study, examples of green hospital applications from various hospitals located in different countries were examined using a qualitative research method, based on the seven fundamental principles identified by the WHO. The findings demonstrate that when the green hospital strategies defined by the World Health Organization are considered together with the 3R principles (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle), they provide a robust and comprehensive framework for achieving sustainability in healthcare buildings. The results indicate that hospitals are not only facilities for healthcare service delivery but also critical infrastructures whose environmental impacts must be reduced due to their high levels of resource consumption. In the examined cases, practices based on reduction, reuse, and recycling contribute significantly to limiting environmental impacts within the healthcare sector. Consequently, the integrated implementation of WHO principles and the 3R approach is regarded as a fundamental requirement for establishing a sustainable healthcare infrastructure that simultaneously addresses environmental responsibility, economic efficiency, and the quality of healthcare services. The wider adoption of this approach, particularly in developing countries, has the potential to strengthen the role of the healthcare sector in combating climate change.