Malawi Construction Industry to hold an international conference Nov 15
The National Construction Industry Council (NCIC) will hold the 5th International Construction Conference focusing on promoting the development of sustainable infrastructures that can withstand disasters and assist in the protection of the environment.
The three-day conference will be held next week from November 15 to 17, 2016 at Bingu International Conference Centre in Lilongwe and will be presided over by the Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima.
NCIC Technical Director Engineer, Gerald Khonje told journalists in Lilongwe Thursday that the major focus will be on how the construction industry can contribute to the sustainable development goals through disaster planning and mitigation as well as use of construction materials that are environment friendly.
“We want to encourage people to engage experts in construction whenever they are developing structures. This will help them to come up with strong buildings that can even withstand disasters like floods and heavy winds,” He said.
Khonje said the conference will also focus on promoting the adoption of green design and construction technologies.
“This involves discouraging the use of burnt bricks that destroys the natural environment and promote the use of environmental friendly construction materials like concrete blocks. These are what we call ‘green materials’,” he said.
The theme for this year’s conference is “Construction Industry Relevance: A shift towards sustainable and resilient infrastructure.”
Presentations at this year’s conference are expected to highlight issues that promote a culture of safety and adoption of resilience through infrastructure planning, design and construction, the role of good governance in infrastructure development and the role of infrastructure development towards the green revolution, according to Khonje.
Chair for the organising committee of the conference, Fred Chiweza said although the gathering is aligned to the construction industry, they expect to have participants from various sectors that the industry encompasses like agriculture, health, education, the academia, among others.
