The Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE) in collaboration with the Ghana Institution of Surveyors, the Ghana Institute of Architects and the Ghana Institute of Planners and the Chartered Institute of Building, Ghana Centre, has successfully held its first ever Built Environment Clinic on Thursday, December, 18, 2014 at the Rawlings Park in Accra.

Under the theme, “Live Right, Build Right, Live Well”, the Professional Associations were represented by their Presidents and key personalities in the Built Environment as well as Queen-mothers and market men and women in and around the Rawlings Park.

The built environment refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from buildings and parks or green space to neighborhoods and cities that can often include their supporting infrastructure, such as water supply, drainage and road networks and power supply.

President of the Ghana Institution of Engineers, Ing. Magnus Lincoln Quarshie said, “As our cities grow we are confronted with many challenges including poor regulation, lack of enforcement, lack of adherence to regulation resulting often in unnatural disasters. There are offers and sale of watershed. People build here without proper alternatives for storm water. Damping refuse in waterways is the order of the day, building without advice from experts continue to be our bane”.

He said the “Built Environment Clinic”, is expected to bring out the issues on the built environment and provide solutions that will address concerns regarding these recurring issues.

The President of the Ghana Institute of Planners, Dr. Stephen Yirenkyi also said, “It is the conviction of the  Built Environment Professionals that most of the issues in the built-environment domain with respect to unnatural disasters, land acquisition, land guards, building permits, design and construction, enforcement of planning and building regulations, etc will be better resolved if the critical engagement of all the key stakeholders is engendered to provide the appropriate and necessary insight into the dynamics of the built environment”.

The President of Ghana Institution of Surveyors, Mr. J.T. Odametey, who spoke in Ga, admonished the gathering to avoid patronizing non-professionals when it comes to building decisions because the end result always affect their very well being.

Mr. Kwabena Sefa, who represented the Ghana Institute of Architects also said, “We are organizing this first “Built Environment Clinic” at the Rawlings Park, Accra and later in Kumasi, to bring to the notice of the general public issues that bring about disasters and offer appropriate and professional advice to forestall future occurrences”.

Mr. Rockson Dogbegah, President of the Chartered Institute of Building, Ghana Centre, also advised the gathering to get professional precautions from experts made up of Engineers, Surveyors, Architects, and Planners before they come to them to build so their works can last forever.