Unesco launches World Engineering Day

World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development will be celebrated on 4th March every year as a UNESCO international day of engineers and engineering starting from 2020 onwards.

This follows the UNESCO 40th General Conference, held in November 2019, adoption of the resolution to proclaim 4th March of every year a World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development.

The proclamation came at the backdrop of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) proposal in 2018 to declare 4th March as World Engineering Day, the founding day of the Federation in 1968.

The World Engineering Day is a befitting opportunity to celebrate the important contributions of engineering practitioners and engineering to sustainable development and modern life.

The celebration is also about promoting engineering as a career of choice and how engineering changes the world for the better of all. A great deal of engineering solutions is required to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly, in developing countries.

For instance, to ensure that everyone has access to clean water, sanitation, reliable energy, and other basic human needs, engineering professionals have to come to the party.

In all other countries, there is also a great deal to be done to deal with the impacts of climate change, environmental issues, our growing cities, the challenges of new technologies and artificial intelligence.

There are many opportunities the World Engineering Day can be used to engage with young people and declare “If you want to change the world for the better, become an engineer.” An international day with coordinated celebrations across the world is an opportunity to increase the visibility and profile of engineering.

The Day is also an opportunity to engage with Government and industry to address the need for engineering capacity and the quality of engineers around the world and develop strategic frameworks and best practices for the implementation of engineering solutions for sustainable development.

Organisations and offices of the United Nations (UN) system, and most importantly, Governments, civil society, the public and private sectors, schools, universities, and more generally, citizens, are expected to make the international day a springboard for awareness-raising actions.

The World Engineering Day Logo

The 17 colours of the UN Sustainable Development Goals are included in the logo and represent the commitment to the UN 2030 Agenda. The colours at the centre of the image are for the Sustainable Development Goals for Water, Energy, Sustainable Infrastructure and Innovation.

These are the main areas where engineers are needed most. The goal for Engineering Education is also central as the world needs more engineers with the right engineering skills for sustainable development.

The image of the world is incorporated in the logo to show that this is a global day for all and sundry. The gears on the logo show that engineers are driving the world forward and that engineering is essential for sustainable development.

The Impetus for the Proposal for World Engineering Day

In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted its Resolution 70/1 announcing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which take an integrated approach to future development, combining progress in economic prosperity, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability.

It was underscored that Engineers and Engineering are critical for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Outlined below is the justification thereof:

1. Engineering professionals (Engineers, Technologists, Technicians and Artisans) and engineering projects are essential for a peaceful world as it is engineers who will develop and implement technologies and systems that will progress the UN Sustainable Development Goals as they relate to water, energy, environment, sustainable cities, natural disaster resilience, and other areas. This is essential for inclusion and to address unequal access to these technologies which results in income inequalities.
2. Engineering professionals are essential for resilience to climate change and to design and develop resilient infrastructure that will withstand the increasing weather-related events — floods, cyclones, and bush fires especially in developing countries that are most exposed to these risks.
3. Engineering professionals are essential for sustainable economic development as they are needed to support the growth and development of essential infrastructures such as roads, railways bridges, dams, waste management, water supply and sanitation, energy and digital networks in both developed and developing countries.
4. Engineering professionals are needed to develop inclusive technologies and innovations that will benefit people and the planet for greater prosperity and better quality of life and leave no one behind, especially to ensure equal access to technology for women and in rural areas.

World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development is an opportunity to discuss these and several other related issues and engage the wider community in the contributions of engineers and engineering and the work that needs to be done to achieve the UN 2030 Agenda so that no one is left behind. Consequently, all engineering institutions, universities, and businesses are invited to celebrate World Engineering Day.

ZIE Hosting the World Engineering Day

In Zimbabwe, the World Engineering Day commemorations are being hosted by the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers (ZIE) who is the sole Learned Society or Professional Body for Engineering Professionals practising in the country. ZIE in turn is regulated by the Engineering Council of Zimbabwe (ECZ), guided by the Engineering Act 27:22 read together with SI 153 of 2012. Outlined below are the ZIE Vision and Mission, for the benefit of both engineering professionals and engineering consumers:

ZIE Vision — To be recognised as a credible Engineering Institution whose members are leading players in sustainable growth in Zimbabwe and beyond.

ZIE Mission — To enable its members provide innovative and economic engineering solutions to challenges whilst upholding high standards and ethical values.

As we commemorate the World Engineering Day, ZIE calls upon both engineering professionals and consumers of engineering to come together at the various regional or ZIE Area Centres and celebrate the engineering achievements the nation continues to realise in the circumstances.

We also celebrate the numerous Engineering solutions and innovations Zimbabweans champion from their diverse foreign bases, in true fulfilment of the world being a global village.

Inserted by the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers [email protected]