President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Sun­day opened this year’s International Fed­eration of Surveyor Conference in Accra with a call on surveyors to promote professional standards.

The four-day event dubbed ‘Fig Working Week 2024’ is on the theme ‘Your World, Our World: Resilient Environment and Sus­tainable Resources Management for All.’

The International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) was founded in 1878 and it is a United Nations and World Bank recognised Non-Gov­ernmental Organisation (NGO).

According to the President, rapid urbanisation, the environment, and the urgent need for sustainable resource management demand innovative solutions.

He indicated that the FIG has been instrumental in promoting such innovations and standards, adding that it works in facilitat­ing global collaborations among surveying professionals and contrib­utes immensely to enhancing land governance and spatial planning worldwide.

“In Ghana, we have felt the impact of initiatives of surveyors, particularly in improving our land administration system.”

“These efforts are crucial as they influence our direction, our goal for economic growth, for increas­ing agricultural productivity, and for envi­ronmental conservation. It is our responsibility to ensure that as we develop, we must do so in a sustainable matter,” he said.

This sustainability, President Nana Akufo-Addo said could only be achieved through resilient environmental practices that are built into every aspect of the planning and development process.

“Surveyors are at the forefront of this endeavour, providing the critical data and insights needed to make informed decisions that protect and preserve our nat­ural resources,” he under­scored.

On her part, the president of the International Federation of Survey­ors, Dr Diane Du­mashie, highlighted the crucial role of surveyors in forming robust con­nections with governance, saying that strong ties with government entities could enhance the impact and relevance of their work.

Dr Dumashie further urged participants to use the conference’s platforms for engaging in mean­ingful discussions with various entities.