The country has begun developing its first comprehensive National Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Strategy and Action Plan to serve as a national framework for coordinated disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
The plan would strengthen institutional collaboration, promote risk-informed development planning and establish a national technical working group on early warning and anticipatory action.
A multi-stakeholder consultation meeting on the development of the DRR Strategy and Plan was held in Accra on June 25 to assess the country’s achievements in disaster management, identify existing gaps and opportunities, and provide technical inputs for a strategy that would reduce disaster risks across sectors, while protecting lives, livelihoods and the economy.
The meeting was organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), in partnership with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
It brought together representatives from government ministries and agencies, development partners, academia, civil society organisations and the private sector to contribute to the formulation of the strategy.
Collaboration
In his address, the Interim FAO Representative to Ghana, Priya Gujadhur, called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to reduce disaster risk, but commended NADMO for leading the process and stakeholders for their commitment.
She said the strategy was at a critical time as climate change continued to intensify disasters in the country through rising temperatures, sea level rise and increasingly frequent extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, tidal waves, wildfires and coastal erosion.
She said such hazards were undermining food security, infrastructure and national development gains, with agriculture remaining one of the country’s most vulnerable sectors due to its dependence on natural resources and climatic conditions.
Ms Gujadhur said the proposed national strategy would provide the framework for coordinated planning, encourage investments in resilience and strengthen disaster governance across sectors.
She reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to support the government, NADMO and other partners to advance DRR and safeguard the livelihoods of communities across the country.
Increase investment
The Director-General of NADMO, Major Dr Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon(Rtd), said that although the country had made progress in disaster management, the growing complexity of emerging risks required a more coordinated, evidence-based and forward-looking national strategy.
He said there was a need for a framework that clearly defined institutional roles and responsibilities and strengthened budgeting processes of government institutions and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.
He called for increased investment in research, resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, institutional capacity and public awareness.
Drafting team
The FAO Resilience Specialist, Dominique Reumkens, reiterated that although substantial groundwork had already been undertaken by NADMO and its partners, the country still lacked a single comprehensive, multisectoral strategy developed through an inclusive process.
He said a drafting team comprising representatives from NADMO and other government institutions had already been established, a roadmap developed and an initial situational analysis commenced.
He added that existing studies and reports would provide the evidence for the strategy, while stakeholder consultations would continue throughout the drafting process before a final document was validated.
Enforcement
The Greater Accra Regional Director of NADMO, Dennis Adjannor Nartey, and the Director of Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction, NADMO, Charlotte Norman, called for a stricter enforcement of planning regulations to prevent developments in flood-prone and disaster-susceptible areas.
They also advocated nationwide public education and community-level awareness campaigns to strengthen local resilience and improve preparedness against disasters.
