Ghana: Action plan on disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation in the offing

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are working closely in the area of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) in line with United Nations recommendations.

Mr Kofi Portuphy, National Co-ordinator of NADMO, who made this known in Accra, yesterday, said NADMO and the EPA have jointly carried out programmes to build the capacity of District Assemblies on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation mainstreaming.

Mr Portuphy said the capacity building programmes were carried out in the area of budgeting, the designing of structural works and implementation.

He was delivering the welcome address at a workshop to adopt Ghana’s Plan of Action on DRR and CCA (2011-2015).

Mr Portuphy disclosed that Ghana has initiated moves to ensure that in the National Building Regulations and the Building Code, issues of DRR are brought to bear on all construction projects in the country, adding that a National Building Guide has also been developed to simplify construction concepts for local builders.

In his remarks, the UN Resident Co-ordinator, Ms Ruby Sandhu Rojon, stressed the need to pay particular attention to governance and institutional mechanisms which will support the smooth and effective implementation of the Action Plan.

Ms Rojon noted that the success of the Action Plan will depend on the accountability and commitment of all institutions at all levels and on the responsible co-ordination of all stakeholders.

She called on NADMO to forge and maintain effective working relationships and linkages with and among various government agencies, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations.

These working relationships and linkages, she said, include consistent work planning, efficient and effective meetings and regular reporting to monitor and discuss progress and address the challenges arising.

Ms Rojon expressed the hope that the Action Plan will prove to be an effective tool in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

Ghana’s Action Plan on DRR and CCA (2011-2015) is a response to the United Nations recommendation for nations to establish platforms for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

The one-day workshop, organised by NADMO and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), therefore, provided the platform to help develop individual agency sectoral plans in sync with national objectives.

The UN System has a critical role to play in providing advice for policy change and supporting national and local institutions to create the institutional framework and catalyse the investments necessary for making the country and its communities sustainable and resilient to climate change and natural disasters.

Source: ISD (G.D. Zaney)