Nawuni (N/R), Sept. 29, GNA – The Northern Regional Directorate of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has sensitized residents of two flood-prone communities in the Kumbungu District and Savelugu Municipality on measures to ensure their safety during rainy seasons.
Residents of Nawuni in Kumbungu and Sugu-Tampia in the Savelugu Municipality benefited from a two-day sensitization workshop held at separate engagements in the Region.
With funding support from STAR GHANA Foundation, the event sought to strengthen residents’ capacities on strategies for risk reduction, while building their resilience against incidences of a flood.
It formed part of a roadmap developed by STAR GHANA Foundation to provide long term, holistic and multi-sectoral approach to the management of floods in the northern part of the country.
Alhaji Abdallah Abdul-Mumin, Northern Regional Director of NADMO, said the sensitization was part of planned measures put in place to help reduce the impact of disasters, especially floods, in the region.
He urged participants to pay attention to weather forecasts from the Ghana Meteorological Agency and periodically check for updates on changes in weather conditions to help inform their daily movements.
He said in the event of downpours, they could move to identified safe havens such as schools, churches and community centres, among others to protect their lives.
“When you are moving to a safe haven, make sure you have a well-thought-out plan on your movements to prevent any further damage or occurrence that will harm you,” he advised.
Alhaji Abdul-Mumin further advised the residents to avoid walking in floodwater and also not to take any property along when evacuating from a flooded area to safer places.
He stressed the need for residents to ensure they kept their surroundings clean to avoid waste materials from getting into waterways to cause flooding.
Some of the residents commended NADMO for the education and pledged their commitment to ensure they adhered to every guidelines being given to them to reduce floods in the communities.
They, however, appealed to the NADMO to ensure sustainable steps were taken to facilitate their evacuation from their current communities to other areas which were free from flood to help sustain their livelihoods.
Mr Alhassan Yussif, Assembly Member for Nawuni Electoral Area, said “our main concern is for us to be relocated to a different community which does not have this problem we have been facing anytime it rains heavily, and we are appealing to NADMO to heed to our plea as they have promised.”
GNA