The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) in collaboration with the CIMA Foundation, DIMSUR, PERIPERIU, the RCMRD and WASCAL with support from the Government of Italy have initiated a project to establish a Network of Centres of Excellence (NoE) for early warning and anticipatory action.
A weeklong programme was organized to train personnel from relevant institutions in the disaster management ecosystem in Ghana.
Participants were drawn from the Ghana Meteorological Agency, NADMO, Ghana Hydrological Authority, and representatives from the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA).
A focal person at the West Africa Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land use, WASCAL, Dr. Seyni Salack, advocates for a comprehensive action plan for Ghana.
“We realized that Ghana has a lot of agencies including G-Met, NADMO, Ghana Hydrological Authority and all these agencies are doing their own thing, and there is a challenge, so if we can have all of them with a focused roadmap, then that makes it easier for progress”, he advised.
Speaking at the opening of a five-day training workshop for stakeholders, Executive Director of WASCAL, Professor Emmanuel Wendsongré Ramdé, has called for a multi-disciplinary approach between state institutions, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and Academia to help solve Climate-induced-disaster-related issues in Ghana.
Prof. Ramdé said, “WASCAL after a series of engagements with state institutions, the corporate bodies in Ghana revealed a disjointed and individualized approach in communicating disaster-related issues particularly early warnings of prospective disaster.”
Representing the National Disaster Management Organisation(NADMO) was the Director for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction, Madam Charlotte Norman, who on her part said, “one of the crucial mandates of NADMO is the early warning signs which is the key to mitigate the impact of climate-related disasters.
Madam Norman further added that NADMO, with the help of the government, is in good standing to withstand any unwanted disaster that may occur. The training programme, however, would help equip the relevant agencies on how to improve early warnings and information systems on disasters.
Project Manager at the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), James Wajohi Nyaga was positive about achieving the desired outcome with the implementation of the project.
The establishment of the Centers of the Network of Excellence aims to draw on expertise to develop and strengthen institutional capacity across the continent.
According to the UN, Ghana’s scattered disaster response initiatives make it difficult to track progress and results. He believes the entire African system, particularly West Africa, will be placed in a ‘grey zone.’
