Dr Benjamin Delali Dovie, an Ecologist and Environmental Change Scientist, Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, who gave the advice, said using the universities for such research would enable them to write inform proposals to attract funding from international bodies to embark on developmental projects.

Dr Dovie regretted that instead of making use of them, MMDAs contract private consultants who charged huge sums of monies to write proposals with no data and research backings leading to Assemblies losing out on such available funding.

He stated that it was also unfortunate that policy makers do not make use of research done by students and the universities but rather accused them of shelving their results. He said students from the universities could be used to investigate research questions from the MMDAs and feedback results made available to them to be used for planning and development in the various areas.

The Ecologist said Assemblies should feel free enough to call on them for dialogue on using the intellects available at the universities to their advantage.  Meanwhile, Dr Dovie is leading a ten-member team of scientists spanning gender, demographics, geographers, planners, ecologists, engineers, lawyers and a communication specialist, to conduct a research into effects of climate change in flood prone areas in Tema Manhean and Community five church village area in the Tema Metropolis.

The Tema Metropolis is among seven districts in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) where the research would take place.  It is aimed at partnering many stakeholder groups to build consensus on strategies that would best address flood response and reduction regime in the area.