ACCRA - The rate of urban growth and its associated social, economic and environmental impacts bring about challenges, but also offer opportunities to do things differently.
This is according to Professor Samuel Sefa-Dedeh, vice president of sciences at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, who spoke on the opening day of the 2018 Sustainable African Cities conference taking place in Accra, Ghana, this week.
Welcoming a range of local and international delegates, Sefa-Dedeh said the opportunity to do things differently will "help reduce the negative impacts of increased populations and congestion, inadequate infrastructure, and environmental challenges in our cities".
"This conference will provide opportunities for Ghanaian and international participants to share ideas on approaches to the sustainability of cities, define roles for science adademies and identify strategies that will accelerate the achievement of sustainability."
Around 60 experts from all over Africa, and elsewhere around the world, are in Accra to look at issues such as Just and Inclusive Cities, Integrated Urban Development Approaches, Rental Housing in Urban Africa, Modelling Future Cities, Urban Water and Wastewater Management, and Informal Markets and the City.
The conference is being jointly hosted by the Ghana Accademy of Sciences and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, in conjunction with the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The conference is also supported by the Network of African Science Academies (Nasac) and the Academy of Science of South Africa (Assaf).