UNDP TRAINS GHANAIANS ON DISASTER REDUCTION

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The United Nations Development Programme in partnership with the National Disaster Management Organization, NADMO, is holding a two day conference with local authorities at Fumesua near Kumasi under the theme, “Advocacy and Capacity Building for Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness”. 

The meeting, which is being supported by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery through the World Bank, is intended to create an environment for participants to further discuss how to effectively mitigate existing and emerging disaster risks in especially urban areas.

 It is expected that after the conference, local authorities would contribute to awareness on the issues militating against sustainable development, from the perspective of disaster prevention and risk reduction. 

Opening the conference, the UNDP Country Director, Dominic Sam noted that cities and towns are recognized as engines of economic growth.

 However they are overly exposed to major disaster risks because of their locations and the number of people they host. 

He said the threat of natural and human disasters potentially undermines development gains made over the years. 

Mr. Sam said the UNDP has been providing Ghana technical support in disaster risk reduction since 2005 and various activities have been supported in terms of disaster management, from prevention to risk reduction, preparedness, response and recovery. 

He explained that the UNDP sees the value of supporting the Government in its efforts to reduce disaster risks and to strengthen national disaster risk reduction planning that is well aligned with the Disaster Risk Reduction Plan of Action of West African countries and Ghana’s national development agenda.

In an address read for him, the Ashanti Regional Minister, John Alexander Ackon said a concerted effort is needed in order to effectively manage disaster risk situations in the urban areas. 

He mentioned some challenges that confront sustainability of urban areas as lack of enforcement of land use plans, absence of local level disaster contingency plans and the limited involvement of communities in development planning.

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