By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, Nov. 12, GNA – Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has directed Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee to summon the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other relevant agencies to brief the House on Ghana’s preparedness for the anticipated El Niño expected next year.
The directive followed a statement read on the floor of Parliament by Madam Patricia Appiagyei, Member of Parliament for Asokwa, who raised concerns about forecasts by the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) indicating that the impending El Niño could have significant consequences for the country.
Mr Bagbin instructed the Committee to examine provisions in the 2027 Budget aimed at addressing the likely impacts of the weather phenomenon, and to assess the readiness of agencies responsible for disaster prevention and response.
He urged the Committee to treat the matter as a national priority and invoke the relevant Standing Orders of Parliament to compel institutions, and bodies with disaster management responsibilities to account for their preparedness measures.
Presenting her statement, Madam Appiagyei cautioned that El Niño could affect key sectors of the economy, including agriculture, water resources, hydroelectric power generation, and public health if adequate preventive measures were not taken.
She noted that Ghana’s previous experiences with major El Niño episodes, particularly those of 1982/83, 1997/98 and 2015/16, highlighted the country’s vulnerability to prolonged dry spells, erratic rainfall patterns, and climate-related disruptions.
The Asokwa legislator called for proactive national planning, stronger inter-agency coordination and adequate budgetary allocations to minimise the potential impact of the phenomenon on livelihoods, food security and critical infrastructure.
Responding to the concerns, Mr James Agalga, the Majority Leader and National Democratic Congress MP for Builsa North, assured the House that the issue had not escaped the attention of the Government.
He said the Mahama Administration had already begun engaging key disaster management and emergency response institutions to plan and implement mitigation measures ahead of the expected weather event.
According to an advisory issued by GMet, the ongoing El Niño is expected to strengthen through January to March 2027, with an 83 per cent probability of reaching strong to very strong intensity.
The agency has advised national and local authorities to undertake preparedness measures to reduce potential risks associated with rainfall variability, dry spells, flooding, water shortages, and other climate-related challenges.
The debate underscored growing concern among lawmakers over the country’s readiness to respond to extreme weather events, and their possible socio-economic consequences.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei