By Christopher Tetteh
Kumasi (Ashanti), Oct. 28, GNA – The Local Government Service Association of Physical Planners (LoGSAPP) has opened its Third Annual General Meeting (AGM) with a call for adequate operational funding and logistical support to strengthen disaster prevention and management efforts across the country.
Mrs Gifty Nyarko, National President of LoGSAPP, who made the call, said the Physical Planning Units of the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) required modern equipment and resources to support the development of resilient cities and communities.
Speaking at the opening session of the Association’s two-day AGM and conference in Kumasi, she said strengthening the capacities of physical planning units and planners remained critical to effective spatial planning and sustainable urban development.
The conference is on the theme: “Strengthening Spatial Planning for Disaster Risk Prevention, Reduction, Climate Change Resilience and Sustainable Infrastructure Delivery in Ghana.”
Participants included government officials, representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), real estate developers, physical planners, MMDAs and students.
Others were land management experts, representatives of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry, the Ghana Institute of Planners and other key stakeholders in the spatial planning sector.
Mrs Nyarko said the country must make deliberate efforts to equip Physical Planning Units with reliable planning tools, modern surveying equipment, appropriate technology and improved access to quality data.
She noted that such interventions would significantly contribute to the development of sustainable and resilient cities.
According to her, as Ghana worked towards attaining Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, there was the need to adequately resource the planning units of all MMDAs.
SDG 11 seeks to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable by 2030.
Mrs Nyarko also emphasised the need for modern and accessible transport systems and called for stronger institutional collaboration and effective data-sharing mechanisms to support evidence-based planning and decision-making.
She commended traditional authorities for their continued efforts in promoting land-use planning through the preparation and sharing of local plans, commonly known as layouts.
According to her, such collaboration was essential for ensuring orderly development, preventing land-use conflicts, and preserving land for future public infrastructure projects.
Mrs Nyarko stressed that physical planners played a crucial role in shaping the physical environment in which people lived, worked, studied, and conducted business activities.
“We must therefore continue to uphold professionalism, integrity, transparency, and dedication in the discharge of our duties to make a positive and lasting impact on our communities,” advised.
Professor Sam Afrane, former Vice-Chancellor of the Christian Service University, called for the adoption of risk-sensitive land-use planning approaches as a key strategy for disaster prevention.
He also urged the nation to intensify efforts to protect natural ecosystems through nature-based solutions in planning and urban management systems.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Christopher Tetteh
Email: [email protected]