Government must consider setting up a focal Ministry to be in charge of urban development in the country, Mr Alfred Kwesi Opoku, Director of Jeavco Associates, a local architectural firm advocated on Tuesday in Accra.
\nSpeaking on the topic, \u201cUrbanisation in Ghana\u201d at a public lecture by the Ghana Green Building Council (GHGBC) in Accra, Mr Opoku said, urban development in Ghana seemed to be out-of-control and something urgent needed to be done to control the situation.
\nMr Opoku said the proposed Ministry should be well resourced to plan the towns, cities and ensure that all development structures conformed to proper laid down regulations.He also suggested that the Town and Country Planning Department (TCPD) should be upgraded to the status of an \u201cAuthority\u201d to undertake the various town planning activities and transportation in the urban areas.
\nMr Opoku said the rate of increase of urban population in Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions were above the national average and the quality of life in the slums in these areas was worse than those in the villages.
\nThe lecture attended by architects, urban planners, surveyors and students, was on the theme: \u201cGreen buildings, communities and the national economy\u201d.
\nDr Victor Kootin-Sanwu, a lecturer at the Department of Architecture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), also stressed the need for Ghanaians to conserve and use energy efficiently at home.
\nHe said the efficient use of energy at home would help to minimise cost and ensure sustainable development. Dr Kootin-Sanwu, who spoke on the topic: \u201cEnergy efficiency in buildings,\u201d said it was important that individuals and organisations sought experts\u2019 opinion on how to provide efficient energy in their houses and offices.
\nHe said Ghanaians like most developing countries used more energy in terms of kilowatts hours than their counterparts in developed countries. Dr Kootin-Sanwu said the issue of energy conservation and efficiency at home could not be left only to the experts, but society had a role to play.
\nMr Daniel K. Quartey, Chief Executive of Excel Air Condition and Manufacturing Company Limited, who spoke on the topic: \u201cSolid Solar Cooling\u201d, called for attitudinal change on the usage of energy in the country.
\nHe said unless Ghanaians began to conserve and use energy wisely, it would not matter the amount of expansion in the energy sector, the country would continue to experience power-cuts and load shedding.Mr Quartey stressed the need for the nation to adopt alternative energy sources such as solar, which was more environmentally friendly compared to thermal gas plants.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Government must consider setting up a focal Ministry to be in charge of urban development in the country, Mr Alfred Kwesi Opoku, Director of Jeavco Associates, a local architectural firm advocated on Tuesday in Accra. Speaking on the topic, \u201cUrbanisation in Ghana\u201d at a public lecture by the Ghana Green Building Council (GHGBC) in Accra, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-275757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n