By Isaac Arkoh, GNA
Twifo Praso (C/R), Dec 20, GNA – The Central Regional office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has wrapped up a five-day capacity building workshop for its district and regional officers, equipping them with essential skills to tackle disasters more effectively.
The training, vital to the work of the officers, would help them to accurately assess risks, deploy resources efficiently and integrate tools like ARC’s insurance model into national strategies.
Empowering teams at the district level meant fostering a more coordinated responses to climate shocks, ultimately protecting lives and livelihoods.
Facilitated by seasoned officers from NADMO’s head office, the workshop focused on critical areas including disaster prevention, management, monitoring and evaluation.
The participants also delved into risk assessment, support interventions, hazard mapping and the use of meteorological data and climate change induced disasters.
Others were contingency planning for rapid response to emergencies through predefined strategies and resource allocation, minimising chaos and saving lives during crises.
The training formed part the Africa Risk Capacity (ARC) organisation, an AU-backed tool designed to manage climate risks through drought insurance and parametric payouts triggered by satellite data.
Ghana joined ARC in 2016 as the first host of its board, enabling swift disaster responses via pre-agreed risk pooling mechanisms that protect vulnerable farmers and safeguard development goals like food security and poverty reduction.
Headquartered in Côte d’Ivoire since 2023, ARC has used satellite technology to detect droughts across Africa.
In Ghana, it identified five drought-prone districts in the Central Region including Upper Denkyira East, Upper Denkyira West, Assin North, Central and South.
Dr Hamza Kaka Abdul Wahab, Director of International Relations at NADMO spoke on how climate change heightened disaster risks by increasing the frequency and intensity of events like floods, droughts, and storms, while amplifying vulnerabilities in communities.
To mitigate that, he said it demanded stronger early warning systems, capacity building at district levels and integration of climate adaptation into national plans.
Dr Hamza took participants through the principles of contingency planning which he explained as a strategic process in disaster contexts, designed to anticipate risks, prepare responses, and minimize impacts.
The contingency principle is hinged on ensuring quick, effective action to save lives, protect assets and maintain essential services when disasters strike.
Speaking on behalf of Mr Kwasi Dawood, the Regional Director of NADMO, Mr Enoch Kojo Forson, the Regional Administrator reiterated their commitment to collaborating with relevant stakeholders to prevent disaster before, during and after the Christmas festivities.
He said NADMO aligned with its mandate for prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery by expanding education, early warnings, and community resilience against climate-driven risks.
For that matter, he said NADMO Central Region had made notable strides in disaster response, prevention and managed significant disasters in 2025 from floods, drownings, fires and accidents between September and November.
He said land reclamation remained a priority to its 2026 agenda, building on 2025 operations in illegal mining districts to reclaim encroached areas and bushfires, collaborating with relevant institutions.
On behalf of the participants, Madam Cynthia Kissiwaa Boateng, the Assin South District Director of NADMO described the capacity-building programme as ‘ground-breaking’ as it had equipped her to foresee storms before they occurred for quick response.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey/Linda Asante Agyei