The UNESCO Representative to Ghana, Edmond Moukala, has stated that the increasing frequency and intensity of floods and droughts in Ghana underscores the urgent need for proactive measures.

Such measures, he said, included ensuring that all partners who were involved in the promotion and taking of action in the field worked together instead of working in silos.

Citing the example of Japan, a nation that had frequently been struck by natural disasters, he also called for robust systems to mitigate the impact of the disasters, adding that there was the need to develop variety of responses, one of which should be policy-driven strategies and community involvement.

“We all know that Japan, a nation frequently struck by natural disasters, has developed a robust system of resilience through policy-driven strategies, community involvement, and continuous improvement, serving as a model for other nations.

“Japan’s legacy of resilience covers: policy and infrastructure - early warning systems: boasts one of the most sophisticated earthquake early-warning systems in the world - disaster resistant infrastructure - hazard maps and Non-structural Measures - Rapid disaster response - community engagement and education -regular training and drills - community involvement - public education - building a culture of resilience,” Mr Moukala said at the launch and inception workshop of a project in Accra yesterday.

The project

The project: “strengthening resilience on water-related disasters under climate change for a sustainable society in Ghana,” is spearheaded by UNESCO with funding by the government of Japan.

On the project, he explained that  it was also about anticipating risks, strengthening systems and empowering people adding that, UNESCO was ready to support Ghana every step of the way in combating the pressing challenges of climate change and its impact on water resources.

The 12 months project, valued at $750,000  is aimed at combating Ghana’s increasing water-related disasters, including severe floods and droughts.

The project is informed by erratic weather events, including recurrent floods and droughts that a lot of regions in the country experienced in the country in 2023 and 2024.

It targets vulnerable zones along the Volta River Basin and the White Volta  and has both national and international partners including the Universities of Tokyo and Cincinnati and the International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM).

Disasters

The Japanese ambassador to Ghana, Hiroshi Yoshimoto, said Japan had long struggled with natural disasters and fully understood the importance of resilience.

He said over the years, they had made significant progress in strengthening their early warning systems, infrastructure and community preparedness.

“However, these lessons were learnt the hard way. One city that bore the brunt of the disaster was Sendai, which was severely affected in the 2011 tsunami.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was developed as a result of this experience,” he said.

Mr Yoshimoto said their commitment to the project was firmly grounded in the Sendai Framework, which among others, encouraged proactive risk reduction through international cooperation and reminded all that disaster risk was a shared responsibility.

“Japan has learned from experience that often the consequences of disasters exceed the capacity of any one country to handle it.

This is why partnerships is important and that is also the reason why we remain committed to supporting Ghana’s efforts to enhance resilience and protect its people,”  he said.

The Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, said recent events highlighted the country’s vulnerabilities to climate change, citing as examples the spillage from the Akosombo Dam in 2023 which displaced over 35,000 residents and the 2024 widespread drought that impacted one million people across eight regions of the country, leading to staggering agricultural losses estimated at $950 million.

He said the government, recognising the challenges facing the water sector, in partnership with key stakeholders had begun implementing several initiatives to strengthen resilience, citing the 2023 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) System Resilience Study as one such effort.

He also stated that a lot of dredging as much as possible would be done, in addition to desilting and increasing education among people to desist from throwing waste into drains.

Dignitaries

Dignitaries present at the programme included the representatives of the World Food Programme to Ghana, Aurore Rusiga, and UNICEF’s Osama Makkawi.