By Dorothy Frances Ward
Kumasi, Nov. 2. GNA – The Technical Sub-Committees at the Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have been urged to be proactive in ensuring effective land use in their respective areas.
They should conduct efficient monitoring and evaluation of infrastructural development on lands, be it for agriculture, industrial, commercial or residential to ensure proper use of the land to drive socio-economic development while creating employment for the people in the area.
Madam Emelia Ayebeng Botchway, Chief Director at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Kumasi that, there was the need to also promote green spaces, sustainable agriculture and eco-friendly infrastructure.
These should be considered in the provisions of plans to safeguard the natural heritage for future generations.
“We must consider ensuring physical development that will not affect the natural resources and rather protect the environment”, she stated.
Madam Botchway said sustainable land use was central to efforts towards growth and development of the nation and had far reaching implications for communities and the nation.
She stressed the need for assemblies to effectively enforce laws regarding land use.
Madam Botchway said the laws existed to ensure sustainable development of land and human settlement by seeing to the judicious use of land to improve quality of life, promote health and safety and control physical development in sensitive areas.
These areas include wildlife, sanctuaries, forests and nature reserves.
“Most of us are interested in land because we acknowledge the diverse needs and demands placed on it,” she said.
The communities and the MMDAS must collaborate to avert issues such as flooding, fire outbreaks, congestion, displacement of population as well as land and water pollution.
She said the challenges in land use planning were numerous and authorities’ and stakeholders required a strong collaboration to reap the best results.
GNA