(MENAFN - The Maravi Post) LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-African scientists and scholars have been challenged to exhaust their energies and resources on research in coming out with technologies and innovation that help proper designing of cities.

The innovation will particularly provide insights to local authorities on urbanization amid population boom in the continent of Africa.

With quest for better social services in towns and cities across Africa including Malawi, local scientists and scholars have a big role to play in setting up the good pace for urbanization.

This is the reason, the country's National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) this week engaged international scientists to instill knowledge with local scholars ahead of population boom for proper planning in cities and towns.

Through a public dialogue with international and national scientists at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda campus in the capital Lilongwe, African governments' commitment to fund research remain a challenge.

This is against background agreements' African Union (AU) states that say that one percent of national budget should be channeled to science and Technology research for countries development.

The public debate that focused on science for sustainable urban development in Africa attracted scientists and scholars from African, America and Europe coming out with solutions to address poor cities and town designs.

Katsia Paulavets from International Council for Science in France, who tackled the topic on leading integrated research for agenda 2030 in Africa, predicts that cities and towns will not be able to accommodate more people if planning is done abruptly.

Paulavets therefore challenged local scientists to come up research that will open up authorities to develop policies that suit urbanization and population growth.

He however bemoaned insufficient funding from African governments to fund scientific research that generates ideas for proper cities and town designing.

Echoing on the same, Shuaib Lwasa from Makerere University in Uganda through his paper titled, "Making Africa cities resilient to climate change and natural disasters", said policies formulation must all incorporate practical adaptation measures in addressing effects of climate change.

Anthony Muyepa, NCST Director General told the Maravi Post after the dialogue that Malawi will use ideas generated to advance on policy reforms that meet urbanization and population growth.

Muyepa lauded Malawi government for science public universities development despite not fully supporting them into research.

'We want to have a country of good road network where congestion is minimized to reduce fuel consumption costs. This will be achieved scientific high learning institutions are fully funded,' said Muyepa.

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