Accra, Oct. 15, GNA – Participants at a day’s engagement on Disaster Risk Reduction have urged all stakeholders to act now to mitigate future disasters.
They also called on the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies to collaborate with partners and community members to find lasting solutions to the perennial floodings and other sanitation problems within their catchment areas.
The event was organised by the Presbyterian Relief Services and Development (PRS&D) on behalf of ACT Alliance in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Weija-Gbawe Municipal to commemorate the 2020 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The event was organised for selected communities including Weija/Gbawe, Tetegu, Oblogo, SCC, MacCarthy, and Mallam, which were identified for perennial floodings due to poor sanitation and natural causes.
It was on the theme, “Disaster Risk Governance under COVID-19”.
Chiefs and Opinion Leaders, Municipal and District Assemblies, Faith-Based Organisations, Civil Society Organizations, and the Media participated.
Mr William Jesse Mensah, a Consultant, speaking on “Effect of Climate Change on Socio-Economic Activities”,
emphasised the need to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation units of MDAs to ensure that contractors do good jobs.
He said institutions need to be well equipped to ensure that things are done properly to mitigate the perennial floodings in parts of the country.
He said to address the problem, “there is the need to modernize the Odaw River to enable the rain waters enter into the sea, to construct appropriate drainage systems and to ensure that contractors meet their specifications”.
Mr Ebenezer Qkoampa, a Consultant on Disaster Management called for the reintroduction of personal hygiene inspection in schools to contain the spread of the COVI-19 pandemic and other communicable diseases.
He also made a case for the reintroduction of the Town Council system (Samasama) to enforce the laws on sanitation and hygiene in individual homes.
Mrs Teiko Sabah Esq., Director of Presbyterian Church of Ghana, said countries that developed a policy framework and plan on Disaster Risk Management can ensure that the risk of disaster is managed well ahead of any future disasters.
She emphasised the need to develop actionable strategies to address all forms of disasters.
That, the Director said, called for a multi-sectoral approach in putting up the plan to address the issues holistically.
Mr Emmanuel Nyarko, the Coordinator of PRS&D, said this year’s event was to push the agenda to address the catastrophic impact of disasters triggered by human actions.
He advised communities to take self initiatives to address common sanitation problems confronting them through consultations and collaboration.
Rev. Dr. Cyril Gershon Fayorse, General Secretary of Christian Council of Ghana, said the world did not guarantee a smooth sailing life, but “we need to prepare ourselves well to mitigate future disasters”.
GNA