By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi, GNA
Accra, July 6, GNA – The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other stakeholders, has held a stakeholder dialogue on the development of Ghana’s first National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and Action Plan.
The dialogue, held in Accra, marked the first in a series of consultations that will also contribute to the establishment of a multi-sectoral National Technical Working Group to address climate change and disaster risk reduction.
Madam Priya Gujadhur, FAO Representative in Ghana, said meaningful disaster risk reduction could only be achieved through collaboration among government institutions, communities, civil society organisations, the private sector, development partners and academia.
She said Ghana was increasingly experiencing the adverse effects of climate change, including rising temperatures, sea level rise and more frequent extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, tidal waves, wildfires and coastal erosion.
Those hazards, she noted, continued to threaten livelihoods, food security, infrastructure and national development gains.
“Today’s dialogue is an important milestone. It is an opportunity for us to take stock of existing achievements, identify gaps and opportunities, and collectively contribute to the formulation of the strategy,” Madam Gujadhur said.
“Our efforts will help reduce disaster risks in Ghana and ultimately protect lives, livelihoods and the economy.”
She noted that agriculture remained the most exposed and vulnerable sector to disaster risks because of its heavy dependence on natural resources and climatic conditions.
Madam Gujadhur said developing countries bore up to 80 per cent of the direct impacts of droughts, significantly reducing farmers’ production capacity and increasing their vulnerability to crises.
“It is imperative that we shift from reactive disaster response to proactive risk reduction through preparedness, early warning systems and anticipatory action. We must invest in disaster risk reduction,” she said.
Madam Gujadhur, who also serves as FAO’s Senior Regional Resilience Officer, acknowledged NADMO’s collaboration with partners across the United Nations system, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in strengthening Ghana’s disaster management and risk reduction framework.
She reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to working with all stakeholders to build a more resilient Ghana.
Major (Rtd) Dr Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, Director-General of NADMO, said disaster risk reduction must be placed at the centre of national planning, local governance and government implementation to strengthen Ghana’s resilience to disasters.
He said the proposed strategy would guide efforts to improve disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery while shifting the country’s focus from disaster response to disaster prevention and risk reduction.
Dr Kuyon said the national strategy must clearly define institutional roles, promote risk-informed development and integrate disaster risk reduction into the planning and budgeting processes of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.
He cited Senegal’s Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy as a model, noting that strong political commitment, effective institutional coordination and collaboration among government agencies, local authorities, development partners, the media and communities had significantly enhanced that country’s disaster risk management.
Dr Kuyon urged stakeholders to contribute to the development of a practical and implementable strategy that would reduce disaster losses, protect lives and livelihoods, strengthen community resilience and support sustainable national development.
The dialogue on Ghana’s first National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and Action Plan brought together representatives of ministries, departments and agencies, academia, development partners, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, and the private sector.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Patrick Ofoe Nudzi Â
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