By Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA
Accra, Nov. 11, GNA – Madam Patricia Appiagyei, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Asokwa, has called for urgent and coordinated national action to prepare Ghana for the anticipated 2026-2027 El Niño phenomenon.
She warned that delays could expose communities, livelihoods, and the economy to severe hardship.
El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon that occurs when the surface waters of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean become unusually warm for an extended period.
In a statement in Parliament on Wednesday, Madam Appiagyei, also the Deputy Minority Leader, referred to a recent assessment by the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet), which predicted a potentially hotter and drier season, with extreme heat conditions expected to peak between February and April 2027, particularly in the northern parts of the country.
She noted that the forecast pointed to heightened risks including prolonged dry spells, water shortages, bushfires, dust outbreaks, and increased pressure on agriculture, public health systems, and electricity generation.
The legislator stressed that El Niño was not merely a scientific occurrence but a phenomenon capable of affecting the daily lives of citizens through reduced agricultural productivity, food insecurity, strained water resources and increased vulnerability among disadvantaged populations.
Drawing lessons from past events, Madam Appiagyei recalled that the 1982/83 El Niño episode resulted in Ghana’s most severe modern drought, while the projected conditions have been compared to the powerful El Niño events of 1997/98 and 2015/16.
She cautioned that uncertainty over the exact magnitude of the effects should not be used as a reason for inaction.
Madam Appiagyei also reminded the nation that despite expectations of drier conditions, intense rainfall events could still occur and cause flooding in urban centres such as Accra and Kumasi, underscoring the need to balance drought preparedness with flood risk management.
She urged the Government to adopt GMet’s recommendations by establishing a coordinated national preparedness framework, with a strong focus on protecting food production and building resilience in vulnerable communities.
According to her, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture should support farmers with drought-tolerant and early maturing crop varieties, improve access to timely weather information, and expand irrigation and water-harvesting systems.
She also advocated strengthening food reserves and agricultural extension services to safeguard national food security.
The MP called on the Ministries responsible for Water Resources and Energy, together with the Volta River Authority and other agencies, to closely monitor water levels in the Volta Lake, develop contingency plans for possible shortages and protect electricity generation capacity.
She appealed to the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to intensify heat-related health preparedness, meningitis surveillance and the supply of essential medicines, especially in northern Ghana.
Madam Appiagyei urged the government to establish or activate a National El Niño Preparedness Task Force with adequate resources, clear responsibilities and measurable targets.
She also called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, traditional authorities, the media and citizens to play their part by protecting water sources, preventing bushfires, disseminating official information and adhering to weather advisories, stressing that early preparation would help avert avoidable losses when the anticipated heat intensifies.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
Reporter: Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Email: [email protected]