The usual heavy downpour of rains in the southern part of the country has started in earnest and wreaking havoc. With its accompanying concomitant effects, the perennial flooding in parts of the country, particularly in Accra, has been devastating, to say the least.
Several people have become victims of the devastating floods with accompanying destruction of properties.
However, we could perhaps take solace in the fact that unlike some experiences in the past, no human casualty has been recorded in the present flooding in Accra.
Natural occurrences such as the impact of climate change has not just affected the rainfall pattern in the country but has also led to prolonged flooding with dire consequences.
Unfortunately, human activities, including indiscriminate dumping of waste and building on water ways among others, have become largely accountable for the threat we face whenever there is a heavy downpour.
Though the other causes are quite enormous, they are widely known and this explains why The Chronicle finds it extremely difficult to understand why a common solution to the Accra floods cannot be found once and for all.
In all of these, there is one major concern about the role of the National Disaster Management Organisation “NADMO” in the wake of the floods.
As an institution, NADMO seeks to enhance the capacity of society to prevent and manage disasters and to improve the livelihood of the poor and vulnerable in rural communities.
It is also expected of NADMO to develop the capacity of communities to respond effectively to disasters and improve their livelihood through social mobilisation.
Additionally, it seeks to manage disasters by co-ordinating the resources of government institutions and non-governmental agencies.
NADMO does these through effective disaster management, social mobilisation and employment generation.
Seemingly, NADMO does not appear to be doing enough in areas of sensitisation, public education and building the capacity of staff and stakeholders.
Additionally, NADMO equally does not seem to have done enough in Promoting Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and public awareness creation in the wake of the perennial flooding
We, at the Chronicle, have become increasingly alarmed about this situation because it does not portray the institution as a more proactive one that helps to prevent disasters as far as flooding in the city is concerned.
For instance, the Ghana Meteorological Agency issues daily alert regarding rainfall in the country but the alert does not receive corresponding educative action from the NADMO.
We are currently in the raining season and per the GMA alert, there could be more rains ahead.
Meanwhile, some people are still living in flood prone areas under the pretext that God would save them when the devastating flooding approaches.
Others are living in dilapidated buildings that have become death traps that could collapse and lead to the possible loss of human lives, especially as the rainfall is peaking now.
In our view, NADMO must have a comprehensive education to breakdown the weather alerts to the citizenry.
The organisation must also be able use appropriate legal means to evict citizens who are dangerously residing in dilapidated buildings to avert any foreseeable calamity.
Through this, we believe that it would be playing its effective role of aiding in disaster prevention rather than to wait for the disasters to occur before they would move in with buckets and blankets.
