Accra: Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, the Minister for the Interior, emphasized the importance of building resilience against disasters as a national necessity critical to achieving sustainable development. He highlighted the increasing frequency and intensity of disasters worldwide, driven by climate change, environmental degradation, and unplanned human activities, during the commemoration of the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) in Accra.
According to Ghana News Agency, Alhaji Mubarak pointed out that floods, droughts, storms, and coastal erosion pose significant threats to lives, livelihoods, and national development, underscoring the need for resilience. He noted that investment in prevention and preparedness is more cost-effective than disaster response and recovery, emphasizing that disaster risk reduction (DRR) requires collective action across all levels of society.
The Minister called for the establishment of strong institutional frameworks, robust early warning systems, and empowered communities to prioritize risk mitigation. He stressed the importance of a proactive approach to addressing vulnerabilities by protecting the environment, enforcing building codes, and safeguarding land and water resources. This year's IDDRR theme, 'Fund Resilience, Not Disasters,' encourages a shift in resource allocation towards resilience-building initiatives.
Alhaji Mubarak acknowledged Ghana's collaboration with the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), which has strengthened early warning systems and improved urban resilience in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030). He advocated for integrating DRR into local governance, increasing domestic financing, and promoting public-private partnerships to foster innovation and sustainable investment in resilience.
Major (Rtd) Dr. Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, the Director General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), announced the expansion of disaster volunteer groups in all 261 districts to ensure community-level disaster preparedness and resilience. He highlighted the establishment of the National Geospatial Disaster Risk Platform (NGDRP) as a significant advancement in enhancing decision-making and early warning through geospatial mapping and predictive analytics.
Dr. Kuyon emphasized the collective efforts of NADMO and its partners in strengthening Ghana's disaster governance framework, improving data-driven preparedness, and building community resilience nationwide. He reiterated that resilience-building should be viewed as a strategic investment rather than an emergency expenditure, promoting national development and ensuring a safe society.
He concluded by urging the nation to invest in resilience, not disaster, aiming to build a Ghana that is ready, adaptive, and sustainable in the face of any hazard.
