Ghanaian scientific researchers, academics and professionals have been urged to make sure that the knowledge they generate impact positively on society.

Dr J.R Cobbinah, former Director of the Forest Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), who made the call said researchers needed to ask themselves whether the knowledge generated were being used in policy-making or in schools to benefit the future generation.

He was reviewing two forestry books at their launch at the FORIG in Fumesua, near Kumasi on Wednesday.

The first book; “Tropical African Timber Trees from Ghana”, gives a vivid tree description and wood identification with notes on distribution, ecology, silviculture, ethnobotany and wood uses of 100 timber species including 26 premium and commercial species and 74 lesser-used and lesser-known species in Ghana. They were selected from the forests of Ghana but also found in other tropical countries of Africa.

The book has 308 pages with five chapters.

The second one, which is a handbook entitled; “Non-pressure rural wood preservation for the tropics”, gives a brief introduction of wood structure in relation to preservation treatment and short review of biological agents for wood deterioration and their adverse effects on wood properties.

They were authored and edited by Dr Andrew Akwasi Oteng-Amoako, a Senior Research Scientist of FORIG and published with financial support from the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO).

Dr Cobbinah, explained that the main activity of a research scientist was to generate information and it was important to ensure that the knowledge and information were put to use to benefit society.

He commended ITTO for its continuous support for research activities and publication of knowledge at the Institute over the years, adding that, if it had not been the assistance of ITTO, FORIG would have been redundant.

Dr. Oteng-Amoako, on his part charged African scientists to start writing books that were relevant to the African situation.

This, according to him would enable students appreciate the problems better and design appropriate interventions to effectively solve them.

Dr Kwame Victor Agyeman, Director of FORIG said the Institute was one of the best in Africa in terms of research and scientific publications and urged scientists in the Institute to intensify their research activities.


Source: GNA