Universities urged to set up Geography Information Systems

The nation’s universities have been urged to set up Geography Information Systems where geographical information can be stored and sourced for environmental planning and exploration in the country.

In addition, they should establish research laboratory centres where geographical data can be collected and analyzed towards environmental sustainability.

Alhaji Issahaku Saliah, Upper West Regional Minister, made the call at the 2011 Annual General Meeting of the Ghana Geographical Association (GGA) and Ghana Geography Teachers Association (GGTA) on Thursday at the Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS).

The theme for this year’s meeting was: “The Role of Geographers in Achieving Millennium Development Goals One and Seven”.

Alhaji Salia stated that Geographers were key resource persons for every nation that sought to unearth and to develop its natural resources.

He, therefore, urged universities to redirect their energies and strategies towards improving teaching and learning of both physical and human geography, which would be of great help to the country’s development.

The Regional Minister noted that the high poverty levels in the three northern regions could be attributed partly to the high rate of land degradation, desertification, bushfires and the effects of droughts.

He said government believed that the ultimate solution to the problem of poverty was wealth creation and noted that this could not be achieved without sound environmental management.

Alhaji Saliah said it was for this reason that the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) had been established to green the North, double incomes and reduce the incidence of poverty in the Northern Savannah zone.

Professor Kofi Awubabo-Asare, President of the GGA, in a statement said the meeting would provide the platform for members to socialize, share ideas and identify their challenges in order to strategize and chart a way forward towards addressing those challenges.

Mr Samuel Assiamah, President of GGTA, called on heads of Senior High Schools (SHS) to help Geography teachers and students to embark on educational trips to explore the environment in different parts of the country for a better understanding.

Naa Seidu Braimah, a Member of Council of State called on traditional rulers to engage their people in tree planting rather than felling them for charcoal.