KNUST, Engineers should research into resilience of buildings

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and other local Engineering institutions have been asked to research into the resilience of buildings to address possible effects of climate change on local physical infrastructure.

A proper research into the area would enable the country to begin to think of measures to adopt in order to address the situation.

Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, who made the call during a one-day seminar on climate change in Wa, noted that climate change had very devastating effects especially to developing countries.

The one-day seminar which was organised by Action Aid Ghana was on the theme: “Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation; Exploring Strategies to Build the Resilience of Communities in the Context of the Upper West Region”.

Alhaji Sulemana appealed to the Lands Commission, Land Valuation Board, Town and Country Planning and the Environmental Protection Agency to endeavour to not only ensure strict adherence to land use regulations but also to come out with more pragmatic ways that would be a novelty in enhancing land use to mitigate the hazards associated with climate change.

He urged all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and Development Agencies to guide strategic development to locations that offered greater protection from impacts such as flooding, erosion, storms and water shortages.

He further appealed to the MMDAs to identify and sponsor climate change activities to better place the people who were already vulnerable.

The Regional Minister said the Ghana Social Opportunities Project (G-SOP) had a budgetary allocation for climate change activities and tasked District Chief Executives (DCEs) to ensure the implementation of these activities in their districts.

Madam Esther Boateng, the Upper West Regional Programme Manager of Action Aid Ghana, said in order to reduce vulnerability and build the resilience of rural communities in the region, ActionAid Ghana had over the years been implementing various projects and activities in some communities.

These include community grain-banking project, alternative livelihood support projects to women groups and People with Disabilities as well as support for small scale irrigation projects.

She said on-going activities include; community sensitization programmes, seminars and campaigns to raise awareness on the problem and to seek local initiatives as well as national and international interventions for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Madam Boateng pointed out that the issue of climate change required a collective effort to be able to mitigate its effects and help vulnerable communities to adapt its impacts before they were overtaken by events.

She said the seminar was therefore a platform for stakeholders to reflect and exploit workable mitigation and adaptation measures which would be implemented to build the resilience of communities against climate change.**