Ghana: NADMO shifts focus to disaster risk reduction

The National Disaster Management Organization, NADMO says it has shifted its focus from disaster management to disaster risk reduction in order to minimize man-made disasters. In an interview with the GNA in Accra, the Public Relations Officer of NADMO, Major Nicholas Mensah said some of these man-made disasters can be prevented to save lives and property.

He was reacting to media reports that blamed NADMO for focusing on management of disaster instead of prevention mechanisms. Major Mensah said NADMO has made efforts to promote risk reduction which include the establishment of the journalists club for Disaster Prevention and the holding of workshops and seminars to educate the public on the subject.

He appealed to the citizenry to focus on the preventive aspects of disaster to avoid the loss of lives and property. Major Mensah said the country can attain disaster free status if Ghanaians are ready to change the habit of building on waterways and other unauthorized places and also avoid throwing garbage into drains, which block the free flow of water.

He said Ghana, as a member of the UN and African Union has adopted Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy as a way of preventing and mitigating the effects of all human-induced and natural risks including climate change. Major Mensah said NADMO also provide resources to its Technical Advisory Committees, to make them more vibrant and effective as well as ensuring that the national, regional, metropolitan, municipal and district platforms for disaster risk reduction ran effective programmes in their communities.