Western Regional Spatial Development Framework launched
The Western Regional Spatial Development Framework (WRSDF) was on Wednesday launched in Takoradi to streamline and harmonize the use of land in the region.
It is also designed to promote an orderly, sustainable, environmentally sensitive and judicious land allocation for socio-economic development.
In a speech read for her at the launch the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Ms. Sherry Ayittey, said the Region’s spatial development framework was the first in the country.
The WRSDF project is a collaborative work between the Town and Country Planning Department, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), the Consultant COWI A/S of Denmark and the Norwegian Ministry of Environment and funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
WRSDF would coordinate all investments, programmes, policies from the central government, regional coordinating council as well as the 17 metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies in the region.
It would therefore serve as the blueprint for the development of concurrent regional plans and the country at large, she added.
In essence, it is the spatial representation of development programmes and projects on employment, mining, industry, housing, tourism, transportation and culture as well as how they must co-exist with the oil and gas industry, she opined.
The Minister said the project would map out planning processes, identify the main stakeholders to make input into the project before the final draft.
Ms. Ayittey said WRSDF had become necessary due to the oil industry in the region to facilitate proper land-use plan and allow the oil and gas industry to co-exist with traditional industries with due diligence to environmental conservation.
Ms. Ayittey noted that, the WRSDF requires that, the entire citizenry make inputs into it so that they would own it.
The Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ms Emelia Arthur, said the framework would restore, protect and preserve the environment.
It would make provision for equitable distribution of major infrastructure and social services such as electricity, water, roads, gas pipeline, among others to all parts of the region.
Source: GNA