Housing fair seeks solution to climate change impact on housing delivery

The need for a sustainable solution on the growing impact of climate change towards housing delivery will be at the front burner at the 13th Lagos Housing Fair tagged; Climate Change and Housing Delivery.

The fair will equally offer professionals, stakeholders and experts in Nigeria building and construction industry a fertile ground to cross-fertilise ideas on the depilating effects of climate change on all aspects of housing delivery – including design, land use management, material specification, construction methodology and finance.

Addressing the press, Moses Ogunleye, chairman, Lagos Housing Fair Committee, says the fair that have hosted over 110,000 participants in its 12 years of existence will this year hold between April 29 and May 4, 2013, at the Radio Lagos/Eko FM premises, Agindingbi, Lagos.

According to Ogunleye, there is a basic need for climate smart innovation in building. This innovation should enhance natural lightening and ventilation in order to reduce energy consumption. Available records have shown that the climate change phenomenon will impact heavily on the construction industry this year. It is expected that increased intensity of rainfall could weaken the soil structures of communities in swampy and fresh water vegetation areas. This could further threaten foundation of buildings in Lagos State and other neighbouring states, hence the need for a forum to enable experts and stakeholders discuss possible ways of averting this impending danger, Ogunleye says.

“Since the exhibition usually have a cross-section of participants, we believe it remains a good platform to highlight issues of mitigation strategies for climate change for developers, manufacturers, researchers, as well as policy makers,” Ogunleye discloses. Quite a handful of dangers are cropping up in our society today, which we seem to neglect, such as the continuous increase in the size of urban concrete. It is obvious that more spaces are been covered with concrete instead of greens. This is an important phenomenon that would be discussed at the fair, he adds.

There will also be special sales packages where products and services will be sold at high discount rates. Equally, the fair will also have seminar sections where topical issues will be discussed. Some of the issues to be examined range from the impact of climate change on technologies in the housing sector, to climate change challenges and implications on housing development, home ownership and finance.

The fair will also engage in public enlightenment of the public on the likely impacts of climate change, according to him.

Investors, stakeholders, manufacturers and marketing companies are enthusiastic to explore new opportunities in the real estate sector, at the upcoming fair, says Ogunleye. The fair, which will also aim to promote indigenous building materials, including services in the real estate, will also avail a fertile ground for local manufacturers and foreign investors to network and discuss vital issues, thereby opening the Nigerian housing market to international investors.

ODINAKA MBONU