Engineers urged to prepare disaster-resilient solutions

DAR ES SALAAM: MINISTER for Works Abdallah Ulega has urged local engineers to develop innovative, disaster-resilient solutions as Tanzania prepares for the projected El Niño rains expected to begin by the end of this month.

Speaking to more than 4,000 engineers during the 23rd Annual Engineers’ Day in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, Mr Ulega said professionals had the capacity to help mitigate the anticipated effects of heavy rains, including flooding. He urged engineers to develop practical and smart solutions before and during the rainy season.

“Engineers always have solutions,” Mr Ulega told the gathering, calling for relevant disaster-resilient measures ahead of the forecast rains. He also encouraged engineers to acquire knowledge and skills from countries with advanced infrastructure, citing China and South Korea as examples.

Mr Ulega further called on them to embrace emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), automation, robotics and data analytics, to improve their performance in the digital era. He said Tanzanian engineers should become active users of emerging technologies rather than observers.

“AI is indispensable. The world is moving rapidly in this area. Other countries have already prioritised AI as an important tool in sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, transport and logistics,” he said.

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Mr Ulega expressed confidence that local engineers were ready to embrace AI, saying it could save time and reduce operational costs and energy consumption. He also urged engineers to contribute significantly to implementation of Tanzania Development Vision 2050.

He cited the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project, with an installed capacity of 2,115 megawatts, and the Standard Gauge Railway as examples of strategic projects in which local engineers had contributed. Earlier, Engineers Registration Board Registrar, Eng Benard Kavishe said about 4,000 engineers from across the country attended the event, while another 1,000 followed virtually.

He said the Engineers’ Day, established in 2003, had strengthened relations between the government, private sector and learning institutions while inspiring young people to pursue engineering programmes. Engineers Board of Kenya representative Monica Wangare urged continued exchange of knowledge and experience between Tanzanian and Kenyan engineers.

The two-day forum was held under the theme, ‘Leveraging Engineers’ Innovation and Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development.’