The Local Government Service Association of Physical Planners (LOGSAPP) has called for tougher enforcement of planning regulations and stronger institutional backing to shield families from disasters that better planning could prevent, Graphic Online reports. The association made the appeal at its Third Annual General Meeting and Conference in Kumasi, held under the theme "Strengthening Spatial Planning for Disaster Risk Prevention, Reduction, Climate Change Resilience and Sustainable Infrastructure Delivery in Ghana."
According to Graphic Online, LOGSAPP's national president, Gifty Nyarko, told the gathering that families are put at risk when structures go up on waterways, drainage channels are obstructed and environmentally fragile land is built on. She argued that sound physical planning, combined with regulations that are actually enforced, could avert many of these hazards.
Why it matters
Where homes are placed, how watercourses and drains are safeguarded and where public facilities are sited all carry serious consequences for public safety, Ms Nyarko said, according to Graphic Online. She noted that planners are frequently the first professionals blamed when disaster strikes, including in cases where their technical guidance was set aside, approved plans were not followed and enforcement efforts lacked support.
While she accepted that planners must protect public safety and answer for their professional judgments, she said they need firmer institutional support so that their recommendations are heeded and acted upon.
A shared responsibility
Ms Nyarko said keeping families safe from disaster requires collaboration across local authorities, traditional authorities, landowners, developers and residents. She asked traditional authorities and landowners to make sure land allocation decisions align with approved development plans and serve their communities' long-term interests.
She also encouraged people planning to build to check with the relevant planning authorities before starting work, saying this helps avoid later problems, protects investments and supports orderly development. Graphic Online reports that she stressed the need to safeguard drainage corridors, wetlands, green spaces, public reservations and other sensitive areas through coordinated decisions and consistent application of planning rules.
Staffing and tools for planning departments
The LOGSAPP president urged the Local Government Service and other bodies to tackle staff shortages in Physical Planning Departments at Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. She said staffing should match each assembly's size, population, development pressures and workload, and that hiring, fair deployment and retention of qualified personnel must be given priority.
She also asked for sufficient operational funding, vehicles for field inspections, up-to-date surveying equipment, computers and suitable geospatial software so planners can work effectively. In addition, she called for a coordinated national programme to obtain and regularly refresh accurate, reliable and comprehensive base maps for every assembly.
According to Graphic Online, Ms Nyarko explained that current base maps would help planners review existing development, spot disaster-prone areas, protect sensitive land and steer infrastructure investment.
Skills and professional conduct
Ms Nyarko called for continued investment in professional development so planners can use geographic information systems, evaluate climate-related risks and support resilient urban growth. She urged practitioners to maintain professional integrity through honest technical advice, fair application of procedures, protection of confidential information and courteous treatment of clients.
She restated LOGSAPP's commitment to pushing for better working conditions, adequate staffing, dependable planning data and stronger institutional recognition for members. She said the conference should be judged by concrete commitments and lasting partnerships that lead to safer settlements and improved living conditions for current and future generations.
What to watch is whether the Local Government Service and the assemblies respond with commitments on staffing, funding and base maps, and whether enforcement of development plans tightens in practice.
