Ghana’s flood response needs engineers trained in sustainable drainage – USTED project lead
Ghana’s response to urban flooding may depend partly on what future engineers learn in the classroom, with a university-led project calling for sustainable drainage systems to become part of construction education. Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (USTED), and project lead, Professor Isaac Boateng, says engineers must be trained to do more than construct drains as the country confronts the pressures of urban expansion, intense rainfall and inadequate stormwater management. “The question is no longer simply whether we can construct drains. It is whether we can design, build and maintain drainage systems that protect people, conserve resources and support sustainable urban development,” he said. His comments come as USTED and Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland work to integrate Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) into Ghana’s construction curricula, equipping future professionals to consider approaches that slow, store and manage rainwater rather than relying exclusively on conventional drainage channels.