Engineers urged to think energy efficiency

Minister of Local Government and Com-munity Development

Noel Arscott is encouraging the country's engineers to incorporate environmentally friendly and energy-efficient designs in plans.

The minister, who was speaking at the launch of the Jamaica Institution of Engineers' (JIE) Engineers Week at the offices of the National Works Agency (NWA) on Maxfield Avenue in Kingston on Wednesday, encouraged the group to take innovative approaches in their designs to manage environmental factors.

"Rainwater harvesting, for example. At this time, with severe drought and water lock-offs, I am sure that you engineers will find it very important in your design work to look at how you are going to incorporate water retention or water-storage capacity within buildings," he said.

President of the JIE AndrÈ White said that the week's theme, 'Engineering for Human and Social Development', would push engineers to focus on how engineering improves and affects the quality of human lives.

"It, therefore, puts a greater requirement on engineers to improve the quality with which they go about practising engineering and making engineering decisions during design and construction," he added.

The week, to be observed from September 20 to 27, is being coordinated collaboratively by the JIE, the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, and the Bahamas Society for Engineers.

Planned activities

Among the activities will be a service at the Boulevard Baptist Church in Kingston on September 20, followed by a three-day conference at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, from September 21 to 23. The conference is open to the public and will run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

This will be followed by a workshop on contract administration and procurement to be held at the New Kingston Conference Centre.

There will be a tour of the National Water Commission Artificial Groundwater Recharge System at Innswood, St Catherine, and the JIE's annually staged Race for Hope 5K run. Proceeds from this event will go towards supporting the Hope Botanical Gardens and Zoo.