By Gilbert Azeem Tiroog
Bolgatanga, Oct.14, GNA- World Vision Ghana, an international humanitarian organisation, has schooled stakeholders in the Upper East Region on Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Planning (CBDRRP) to help tackle disasters at the community level.
The three-day workshop was aimed at building capacities of district implementing partners on basic Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), increase their knowledge in facilitating Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) and equip them with skills on crisis communication.
The participants who are partners of the World Vision Ghana’s Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration for Positive Land Utilization Systems (FMNR PLUS) project included the Ghana National Fire Service, the National Disaster Management organization (NADMO), and Non-Governmental Organisations among others.
The training had funding from the KNAUER family with support from World Vision Germany.
The FMNR is an easy and low-cost land and forest restoration technique used to increase the number of trees in the field without necessarily planting new trees, but through the protection and management of existing trees and shrubs, regenerated naturally from tree rootstocks, stumps and dispersed seeds by animals.
It is used to sustainably combat poverty and hunger among poor subsistence farmers by increasing food and timber production and resilience to climate change.
Mr Edward Anaba Akunyagra, the Regional Project Manager of World Vision Ghana, said the organisation’s aim was to aid the affected victims of disasters and it was important measures were put in place to manage the risk since it involved human lives.
He said one of the major causes of poverty was as a result of people’s inability to effectively respond to disasters whenever they were impacted and building institutional capacity of partners would help them detect early signs of risk and respond appropriately.
Mr Akunyagra said the training would enhance the ability of partners to profile disaster risks when identified and communicate effectively without causing panic to help mitigate the risk and mobilise community members to plan and act.
Mr Samuel Gmalu, the Head of Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs, World Vision Ghana, said the world was confronted with issues of climate change including desertification and it was important strategies were devised to address the menace.
He said the implementation of the FMNR would help restore degraded landscapes and forest reserves and improve upon livelihood of vulnerable communities.
“The world is battling with issues of climate change which comes with its impact including heat wave and poor rainfall patterns and so the focus is on how to mitigate these issues and improve on rainfall and soil fertility and that is the essence of this training, to prune existing trees so that our soil will be protected from degradation and preserve our environment” he stated.
Mr Sumaila S. Saaka, the DRR and FMNR Trainer said capacity building was one essential component needed at the district level to implement development projects especially disaster risk reduction initiatives.
He said it was imperative for stakeholders to use the knowledge acquired to work effectively with communities to develop plans that would build resilience and mitigate disasters.
GNA