Adopting Measures Against Flood & Windstorm  

COMMENTARY ON ADOPTING PROACTIVE MEASURES AGAINST FLOOD AND WINDSTORM  

The northern region recently experienced severe rainfall leading to destruction of property and also displacing a lot of people. On Tuesday, 26th March, The people of the Volta Region had some rainfall, but fortunately, its impact on lives and property was not severe. Who knows the impact of this year’s rains?  It is obvious that climate change has come to stay and there is the need to put in place adaptation mechanisms to overcome the challenges. As we have seen the signals of the rain, it is necessary for all the stakeholders in disaster management to develop mitigation plans to avert the risks ahead. The National, Regional, District and Zonal Teams of NADMO should know that they have a heavy task and should be prepared for it. All the hazard and flood prone areas should be identified as well as safe havens. The drainage systems must be given attention, especially in the urban centres. All the chocked gutters should be well disilted to allow for free flow of water.  

It is important for the National Coordinator of NADMO to liaise with the University of Ghana Geography Department to help equip NADMO staff at all levels in using the Geographic Information System (G.I.S). By so doing, all the hazard and flood prone areas will be identified and mapped for future planning and prevention of flood disasters in the country. It is equally important that all the regional and district coordinators of NADMO should step up their outreach programmes especially in communities prone to flood zones to enable the people to understand disaster mitigation and prevention. District Assemblies should also put their shoulders to the wheel in the mitigation process by releasing the 2% of the common fund meant for disaster management to NADMO for effective and efficient disaster prevention activities. The Town and Country Planning Department must join the fight to enforce the building regulations to avoid haphazard buildings on water ways. 

One proactive measure against disasters is an early warning system, to serve as a motivation for those living along the Volta Lake and flood prone areas to move to the higher grounds before any casualties. The rescue teams should not sleep with their ears as disasters occur unexpectedly. If the  saying that  'to be forewarned is to be fore armed' is anything to go by, then, there is the urgent need to equip NADMO offices with the needed resources to facilitate smooth and timely response to disaster issues. The National, Regional and District stores of NADMO which have been empty for some time now, should be resourced before it is too late. This is because the price for disaster can be expensive both in human and material cost. Now that the weather has given us early warning, let us all join the disaster mitigation team to prevent disasters in our peaceful country.

BY: FRANCIS KOFI ATSU, NADMO REGIONAL OFFICE – IN CHARGE OF MANPOWER, HO VOLTA REGION.

CONTACT: MOBILE: 0207508675.