UN lauds Ghana's disaster risk reduction plan

Thursday, September 8, 2011

By Edmund Mingle

The United Nations has commended Ghana for developing a National Disaster Risk Reduction Action Plan, which seeks to drastically reduce the impact of disasters, saying disaster prevention is critical for development.

According to the UN, it was laudable the action plan was set for implementation to prevent and also to cushion the nation against disasters when they strike.
Mrs. Ruby Sandhu-Rojon, UN Resident Coordinator gave the commendation when she called on President John Evans Atta Mills at the Castle yesterday.

Ghana, through the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), completed the National Disaster Risk Reduction Action Plan, in accordance to the UN’s recommendation to countries to develop strategies reduce the risk of disasters.

Mrs. Sandhu-Rojon, assured government of the UN’s support to fully implement the action plan which shows ways to protect infrastructure, farms lands, educational and health institutions against disasters, particularly floods and fire.

She encouraged the government to build on the partnership with other stakeholders in the area of disaster prevention, saying reducing the risk of disaster is a shared responsibility.
“We need to build a resilient nation to withstand disasters,” she said.

Mrs. Sandhu-Rojon, who was at the Castle to solicit the President’s commitment for the implementation of the plan, also invited the President Mills to the commemoration on World Disaster Risk Reduction Day in October.

President Mills, responding, thanked the UN system in Ghana for the continuous assistance, and expressed appreciation for the cooperation with NADMO which has culminated in the completion of the action plan.

“We are glad Ghana is among the leaders in the development of the action plan,” he said.

According to President Mills, many of the disasters that occur in Ghana were preventable, and affirmed his administration’s commitment to prevent and effectively manage disasters.

Kofi Portuphy, National Coordinator of NADMO, who accompanied the UN Resident Coordinator to the Castle, the action plan would enable his outfit to effectively eradicate factors to fuel disasters in the various sectors of the country.