Oil is a threat to Ghana- expert

The President of Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA), Mr. Adotei Brown, has stated that the current existence of oil and gas to the economic development of the country is a threat.

In an open address at the West Africa urban Forum held in Accra, last Friday, as part of GIA's Golden Jubilee Celebration, Mr. Adotei, noted that pressure mounting on the enabling economic environment especially infrastructure and biophysical environment is seen as a threat as a result of population migration.

Other activities that posed threat to the oil and gas sector, Mr. Adotei mentioned include sanitation, refuse disposal, and traffic buildups.

He maintained that though the sector seems to present more opportunities for employment, business, training and improved population growth, the hazard on the environment should not be taken for granted.

He said both opportunities and threats require mitigation and management measures with the most principal among them being the developmental control in a harmonized and integrated manner.

He called on the government to equip the architectural institutions as well as Assemblies and provide experts to manage the developments effectively.

He said the effective development of the agriculture sector would similarly impact on rural/urban development as such demand in the coordinated development of road networks should be considered.

He pointed out that past and most recent developments seen across the country have all indications that the country has failed in synchronising development.

He urged stakeholders to help control and avoid the development of shanty-towns, hazard residential and commercial/industrial developments, largely un-related to improve physical planning and land use layouts.

He stated that the threats on the water resources, the use of bio-under gradable materials and the heavy demand on power generation must lead the country to take urgent measures that will leave a better future for the children and those yet to be born.

He advised that measures that harness the sun's energy in every building that recycle water and waste that leads to the reduction of air-condition heat loads on buildings should be ignored to the country's peril.