Engineers Have Critical Role in Mitigating Environmental Damage – Dr. Davies

Minister of Transport, Works and Housing, Hon. Dr. Omar Davies, says the engineering profession has a critical role to play in mitigating the effects of development on the environment.

He argued that while much of the damage to the environment, whether due to housing development, mining and manufacturing operations, resulted from engineering interventions “at the same time, the efforts to remedy the damage done will, to a large extent, also require the ingenuity of engineers.”

The Minister was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Engineers’ Week conference, organised by the Jamaica Institution of Engineers (JIE), at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Monday, September 21.

He noted that measures to address environmental damage, apart from requiring a high level of creativity, will also necessitate collaboration between the engineering fraternity and other areas of technical expertise, as well as those from the “softer” disciplines like the social sciences.

The three-day conference involves partnership with the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering and the Bahamas Society of Engineers.

A number of topics will be discussed, including electronic procurement, development planning risks, standards for tsunami flooding with a simulation held in Old Harbour Bay, and bridge management and maintenance.

Engineers’ Week is being held from September 20 to 27 under the theme: ‘Engineering for Human and Social Development’.

The week of activities aim to highlight and positively enhance the impact of engineering on society, while presenting prospective solutions for industrial and environmental sustainability.