The Director-General (DG) of Ghana Maritime Authority, Mr. Thomas Kofi Alonsi, has called for investment in hydrography. He said this during the launch of the 2021 World Hydrography Day, at the Authority’s premises on Monday.

Hydrography is not the first expression that comes to mind when we think of maritime transport. Yet, without knowledge in that area of applied science, the disruptions in the flow of goods and the general hardships the world would experience cannot be overemphasized.

Hydrography is a scientific study that drives marine knowledge while providing basic information on seaborne activities. This knowledge assists the management of the maritime space and helps the country’s with maritime resources, maximizing them to the fullest.

It is for this reason that aside from maritime transport, hydrography provides scientific data and knowledge for the establishment of income-generating avenues in tourism, telecommunications, energy, fishing, meteorology, and other perks that have contributed immensely to the GDP of the country over the years.

Ghana is the 92^nd International Hydrography Organization (IHO) member and set up its hydrography office through the activities of its local body, the National Hydrographic and Oceanographic Committee, (NHOC) last year. This followed the ratification of the IHO Convention. This year’s celebration – which falls on the 21^st of June every year – coincides with the 100^th year anniversary of the IHO.

While Ghana stands the chance to receive technical assistance from IHO – as a member, there are a couple of bottlenecks with funding for the committee. This was expatriated by the DG of the Authority in his keynote address.

“Ghana as a nation must commit to providing the needed resources such as funding for developing expertise in hydrography and related disciplines,’’ he said. “Additionally, the National Hydrographic Office needs funding to be able to carry out various tasks such as providing national hydrographic survey and a central depository for hydrographic data, updating nautical charts covering Ghana’s maritime jurisdiction,” he added.

The NHOC is made of members drawn from the Authority, Fisheries Commission, University of Ghana Marine and Fisheries Department, Regional Maritime University, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Hydrological Service Department, and Petroleum Commission. The others are the Survey and Mapping Division of the Lands Commission, Ghana Navy, Ghana National Petroleum Commission, and Volta River Authority.

President of the NHOC, Magdalene Eghan, had this to say about the immense role hydrography plays in Ghana’s management of its maritime resource and its general socio-economic importance.

“Hydrography plays a crucial role in our maritime space. The data from our nautical charts engender confidence in maritime trade irrespective of how big or small a vessel is. That is aside from the exploration of resources like the hydrocarbons which have led to the booming oil industry,’’ she expressed.

The vice president of the NHOC who represents the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) on the NHOC also gave an idea into how hydrography helps the country manage the affair of its maritime resource. “Hydrography helps vessels navigate on seas safely as a result of charted courses which come from regular data,’’ he said.

“The nation can also identify, take stock and maximize resources underwater through information gathered from hydrographic activities,” he stressed.