Disaster risk management fundamental to resilient, well-being of communities

Madam Charlotte Nana Norman, Director of Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, Natural Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), says the concept of disaster risk management is fundamental to the resilience and well-being of communities.She said it involved systematic processes to understand, assess, and reduce disaster risks, ensuring that communities could better withstand and recover from adverse events.'It safeguards lives, reduces economic losses, promotes sustainable development, and enhances overall community well-being,' she added.The Director was speaking at a Water and Sanitation (WASH) training event at the Nsawam Adoagyiri District Assembly in the Ga West Municipality.The training aims to educate and inform participants about best practices in water, sanitation, and hygiene.It also formed part of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) flood relief assistance initiatives for victims in the Ga South, Weija-Gbawe, Ga West, and Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipalities in the Grea ter Accra and Eastern Regions, respectively.Madam Norman said in addition to activities implemented under the ECOWAS project, there was the need to complement drilling the borehole in the Municipality with the WASH training program.She said when disasters struck, the residual risks often demanded immediate and effective relief efforts to help victims return to their normal lives as swiftly as possible.The Director said in response to the devastating floods of 2022, which affected various assembly members, ECOWAS had stepped in to provide vital relief ranging from immediate assistance to long-term recovery projects.'One such project, which we are focusing on today, is the provision of boreholes to ensure access to clean water in the affected communities, however, providing infrastructure is only parShe said to enhance the community's resilience and ensure the health and well-being of people, there was the need to also equip them with the knowledge and skills to maintain and utilise these resources ef fectively.Mr. Smart Amoafo, the Municipal Director, Nsawam Adoagyiri District Assembly, encouraged the community members to take advantage of the workshop, and equip themselves with knowledge, for the community at large to also benefit.The Municipal Director said the Assembly would set up a committee from the community to ensure its maintenance and sustenance.He showed appreciation to ECOWAS and NADMO for selecting the Assembly to benefit from the WASH training program.Source: Ghana News Agency