The Sustainable Progress Goals (SDGs) is presently in its fifth 12 months due to the fact Nations of the globe which includes Ghana signed on to it in September 2015.
This suggests that the world local community has particularly 10 a long time forward for all nations, be it, created or developing to reach the targets outlined in the blueprint.
Is Ghana and for that make a difference sub-Saharan Africa on course to meeting any of the targets? This is a million-dollar concern that demands to be answered, given what is on the ground in conditions of attempts and implementation approaches.
Enable us target for instance on the Built Environment (BE) for the reason that of the massive effect it has on the ecosystem, raw products use and on the physical and financial existence of individuals.
It is reported that routines of the BE business lead about 40% of carbon emissions into the ambiance. This usually means, mitigating activities in the BE has enormous likely for lowering Inexperienced House Gas (GHG) emissions and subsequently inure to meet up with the SDGs, particularly objective 7 looking for to make certain inexpensive and cleanse energy, target 11 for sustainable towns, and objective 13 on local climate motion.
What has Ghana finished so far in the BE field? Properly, as it is currently, it appears that apart from the “lip service”, one particular is not accurately conscious of any consisted and pragmatic implementation agenda/approaches in spot.
Suffice it to point out that, even though the principle of sustainable progress drives on the triple anchor of financial, social and environmental (ESE) benchmarks, traditionally it takes its root from the financial contemplating of the classical economist, Thomas Malthus, who is credited to have initial prompted a debate of the connection among the earth’s confined pure methods and inhabitants development, in his seminal functions in the 1800s.
His famed idea of inhabitants expanding at a geometric charge although subsistence was to increase at an arithmetic progression, turned very preferred through this time period.
Since then, rather a whole lot certainly has gone on, primary primarily into the 20th century. Alas! 1972 was to be the era that was to spur on influential conversations questioning no matter whether the earth’s pure assets were being in fact currently being made use of in a sustainable method.
Not as well prolonged right after, in 1980, the expression Sustainable Improvement (SD) was coined as a Environment Conservation Tactic (WCS) by the UNEP. Subsequently, the Brundtland Commission report of 1987 generated renewed fascination on the SD agenda in reaction to poverty alleviation and safeguarding the atmosphere.
The highlight, a single could opine, was to be realised in 1992 for the duration of the Earth Summit in Rio (Brazil) which invigorated the world notice for Nations of the earth to start off to choose SD in earnest agenda. So, it could be stated that, the SDGs which have now develop into the blueprint guiding the new city agenda choose their roots from the Rio agenda of 1992- code-named “Agenda 21”.
Inside of the BE, the phrase sustainable design (SC) emerged synonymous toward conference the emerging sustainable development programmes.
In accordance to the Division of the Environment, Transport and Areas (DETR, Uk), sustainable building is largely about encouraging the escalating use of recycled materials, lean development, efficiency in renovation and adaptation, doing away with pollution and making certain efficiency in the use of h2o which includes excellent assurance.
Consequently, in essence, sustainable construction is about staying dependable and useful resource-productive in direction of enhancing the health and fitness and welfare of regional communities and culture. That without a doubt underlie the driving agenda for reaching the all-important SDGs.
Curiously, whilst the idea of the SD agenda was at its threshold in the early 1970s, several –sub-Saharan African economies which includes Ghana had been difficult strike by the World-wide Oil Disaster.
The design marketplace was seriously influenced as cement run short of supply and costs of building supplies predominantly imported skyrocketed. Ghana hence embarked on know-how R&D toward upscaling laterite centered technologies for housing and setting up initiatives.
The engineering involved the use of 5 to 10% cement to laterite and compressed into blocks known as landcrete Tek-Block. So-called Tek-Block for the reason that the Centre for Settlements Studies, then Department of Housing and Setting up Research of the KNUST was at the forefront of these R&D initiatives.
With excellent and appropriate models, it was doable to make resilient constructions in landcrete Tek-Block several of which are however useful after 50 several years of use (see pictures 3 to 8 down below). Enhanced laterite centered atakpame blockwall development was also aspect of the R&D engineering (image 2).
It is to be pointed out that, considerable studies by the Setting up and Street Exploration Institute (BRRI) implies that, above 70% of the land cover of Ghana is lateritic in mother nature.
Laterite engenders the economical use of finite sources, limit air pollution, and is environmentally welcoming and also a renewable normal resource. Laterite primarily based systems are hence possibly responsive to the ideals of conference most importantly SDGs 7, 11 and 13.
The technologies formulated making use of Tek-Block has the probable for lessening residence price by about 30% or more. The improved atakpame blockwall also has the potential of attaining approximately 60% charge price savings in dwelling setting up.
The Centre for Settlements Studies, KNUST also experimented in timber constructions which have performed functionally effectively considering the fact that 1974 to day (see for example graphic 1). Presently, picket sharks are dominating slums in several Ghanaian towns. This prototype timber structure could have served purposely in furnishing decent residences to a lot of needy Ghanaians.
Aside from the lateritic dependent elements from KNUST, other organisations these kinds of as the Forestry Institute of Ghana (FORIG) did a lot to boost the large use of forestry and agricultural waste, in making things these as particle boards and chipboards from sawdust and wood-wool.
A single is conveniently reminded of the gorgeous particleboards made by Novotex in the 1980s. They have been in truth stunning to the eye, when made use of, for illustration, for ceiling and panelling. Novotex applied to be found on the Key Accra- Kumasi street at Nkawkaw in the Jap Location of Ghana.
Throughout the similar time, the BBRI also did a large amount in encouraging to boost lateritic clay products such as Bricks. In 2010, I had the privilege of attending a national workshop organised by the Ministry of Surroundings, Science, Know-how and Innovation (MESTI), looking for to maximize the use of bricks for dwelling building by 60% by the calendar year 2015.
We are now almost in the last quarter of the year 2020 and your guess would be as superior as mine. Is it a scenario of mere lip company and no motion? The corollary is that, if these sustainable systems experienced been pursued and sustained in earnest as it commenced in the 70s, it could have potentially positioned Ghana at the forefront, as a leading sustainable progress financial system in the 21st century.
Even so, Authorities aid and coverage instructions have not been significantly proactive which established latency in the R&D initiatives in the early 1990s. Public acceptance of the area technologies has also been receptive, even though, there is enough scientific proof that the technologies are workable.
The major reliance on common products when similarly great substitutes could be attained from laterite, forestry and agriculture waste undermines all hard work to accomplishing the SD agenda in the BE market in Ghana.
The UN-Habitat in the Ghana Housing Profile studies that Ghana federal government is presently finding it complicated to deal with sand mining and deforestation, obviously for the reason that of the significant dependence on typical supplies such as sand and timber.
There is also a weighty reliance on the increasing use of for occasion glazed windows above the environmentally friendly Louvre blades, definitely engendering the greenhouse outcome.
The rising use of Air-conditioners (ACs) also is placing tension on the national grid and most likely escalating carbon emissions. Plainly, this does not sound like Ghana is keen on championing the SD agenda in the BE industry.
It is a actuality that sub-Saharan economies have generally struggled to be competitive in the worldwide marketplace simply because of the about-reliance on imports. One particular of the strategic parts that the BE can use to engender import substitution may well be to stimulate a lot more emphasis on the use of eco-supplies and sustainable technologies.
With the abundant natural useful resource base of Ghana, there is the possibility to establish eco supplies and sustainable systems from a huge assortment of possibilities.
If these technologies are very well perfected to intercontinental expectations, it is likely to create exceptional products and solutions reflecting the abundant ecosystems in Ghana. Being exceptional indicates that, we may start to uncover design products from Ghana crossing boundaries onto the worldwide market place, particularly as the inter-continental cost-free trade is now in this article with us.
As a result, the Ghanaian BE marketplace need to most likely start to reposition alone in phrases of the different solutions it can give to the sub-regional market by means of improved community technologies.
The BE business has the prospective to choose the lead in working with eco materials and sustainable technologies to internationalise the Ghanaian Building Field.
Having said that, it appears to be like Ghana may well have dropped the option of this leverage several a long time in the past when it deserted the trajectory it started on in the 1970s in creating sustainable materials. Probably! One particular might say that all is not missing nevertheless if we can rapidly re-organise the sector with deep-seated guidelines and pragmatic implementation agenda.
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The author is Professor Divine Ahadzie the Head, Centre for Settlements Experiments, KNUST
