Come up with ideas to address climate change challenges

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has underscored the need for engineers to develop innovative ideas to address challenges posed by climate change.

“The climate, as we know, is not the same any longer. It is changing at an alarming rate. Unless something drastic is done, very soon this planet earth will not be as habitable as it used to be, hence the need for the professional  intervention of engineering and technology,” he stated.

Former President Kufuor made the appeal  at the 47th presidential inauguration and banquet of the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE) in Accra last Friday.

It was on the theme, “The Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructure – The Role of Civilian and Military Engineers.” 

Global threat

Describing climate change as a global threat, he said “for mankind to survive, we need to be innovative, put in place adaptive and resilient measures to curb the situation”.

“Engineering is one of the principal weapons we need for such interventions.

“The rains no longer fall at the normal time, and if  they do fall, they result in  problems and contribute to mass migration around the world.

“The consequences  are starvation, malnutrition and diseases that affect people and destroy the biodiversity of their habitats,” he said.

Pseudo projects

Pseudo projects, he observed, had resulted in most calamities that had befallen the nation.

“We construct a road today and in few years when you drive on that road, it is full of potholes. Gutters are so narrow and choked, causing stagnant waters, which result in diseases,”  he said.

Former President Kufuor, therefore, advised engineers to be proactive and  ensure diligence in their duty.

Commendation

For his part, the 47th President of GhIE, Dr Kwame Boakye, commended engineers and said there was the need for the GhIE to promote public awareness of the need for engineering and technology to be fused in all aspects of national activity. 

“Ghana is going nowhere without engineering, since many of our problems are essentially engineering-related,” he explained.