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The Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) in the Upper East Region has received a grant of GH¢499,000 to implement a new Climate Change project.
Dubbed “Enhancing Traditional Building Materials for Sustainable Climate–Smart Green Development Project”, the grant was provided by the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC) under its Science Granting Council Initiative. It would be implemented over 18 months.
The project is aimed at implementing activities, analysing conventional construction materials thoroughly and measuring their environmental effect through life cycle assessments and carbon footprint calculations.
It would also investigate and find sustainable alternatives to typical construction materials, taking into account issues such as recyclability, energy efficiency in manufacture and eco-friendliness.
Under the renewable energy integration component of the project, the intervention would examine the viability and efficacy of incorporating renewable energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines into traditional building constructions.
The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) will supervise the project.
Briefing the media on the implementation of the intervention in Bolgatanga on Monday (March 18, 2024), the Dean of Build and Environment at BTU and the Project Team leader, Professor Callistus Tengan, explained that to reduce transportation-related emissions and the total carbon footprint of building projects, the project would also encourage the use of locally produced materials in traditional construction.
“Under the Smart Technology Implementation component, the project will integrate smart technology with traditional building practices, using sensors and automation to optimise building efficiency, monitor resource utilisation and improve energy management,” he revealed.
Prof. Tengan explained that as part of implementation strategies, the project team would undertake community engagement initiatives to create awareness about sustainable construction practices and to engage local populations in the adoption of green building approaches.
He stated that to ensure accountability and transparency, the project implementation stages, results and outputs would be disseminated under the MESTI and IDRC’s Open Access Policy available at the following link (Grants Management System (mesti.gov.gh) / https://idrc-crdi.ca/en/open-access-policy-idrcfunded-project-outputs) for public consumption.
Prof. Tengan indicated that Open Access Publication of books and journal articles would also publish articles on the project interventions and their impact. He stated that the anticipated outcomes would include a catalogue of sustainable material alternatives, guidelines for renewable energy integration, toolkits for local sourcing and carbon reduction, manuals for smart technology integration and documents detailing effective community engagement strategies.
“This initiative aims to provide practical tools, guidelines, and frameworks applicable in traditional construction practices, fostering sustainable, climate-conscious development,” he further stated.
These, he explained, would contribute to creating climate change resilience, and environmentally-aware built environments, aligning with the broader goal of promoting sustainable practices and minimising the environmental impact of construction activities.
