GhIS urges public to deal with registered members

The Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS) is marking a week-long celebration of its 15th Surveyors Week.

Mr Ian Agbenyega, a member of the Planning Committee, told Accra 100.5FM on Wednesday, 12 February 2020 that the theme for this year’s celebration is: ‘Surveying and the Emerging Technologies for National Development’, and would be held at the Bank of Ghana Auditorium, University of Ghana Legon Campus, from 15 to 23 February 2020.

He added that the overall aim of the week-long celebration is to provide a platform for objective professional deliberation on emerging technologies in surveying.

"Discussions will be on where we are as an institution concerning these technologies and how we can tap into these evolving technologies to enhance our careers as surveying professionals," Mr Agbenyega said.

He also explained that there was a need to introduce technologies into land management and acquisition.

He said: “The development of every nation with respect to land acquisition, effective planning, land administration, construction and infrastructural development is hinged on the availability of up-to-date land information and its management. In fact, once infrastructural development is mentioned, the surveyor, and, in other words, surveying comes to mind. Right from the beginning of any infrastructural development through the construction stage to the end of the project activities, the role of surveyors cannot be over-emphasised.

“Ghana, recently has been facing several development challenges, which require innovative approaches to deal with. For example, the perennial flooding in Accra, ‘galamsey’ menace, rampant carnage from accidents on our roads, untimely failure of construction works, loss of lives from conflicts from land acquisition and registration require state-of-the-art analysis in order to find solutions.

“Once towns spring up and there is expansion of roads and other agents of settlement and urbanisation, the normal routine for development such as planning, preparation of plans, subdivision of parcels, determination of boundaries, estimation of values of properties for taxation and provision of cost engineering become more and more complex. It is clear that the present ways of dealing with these issues cannot continue, and thus, innovative technology is the way to go.

“It has been argued that science and technology hold the key to the present and future development of any country. Technology is intimately connected with development because; they have historical record of bringing advances that have led to healthier, longer, wealthier and more productive lives and they are key ingredients to solutions to the most serious poverty alleviation and economic development challenges that we currently face and are likely to face in the future.

“With increasing complexity of projects, demand for high performing buildings, declining profit margins, high volumes of wastage and stagnated productivity levels of the current environment, the emergence of innovative technologies cannot be overlooked.”

As part of the celebration, GhIS will be embarking on a health walk starting from the El-Wak Stadium in Accra to the University of Ghana.