How prepared is Ghana to handle earthquakes?

Ghana has not been spared the effects of natural disasters except that in recent times we have been lucky to have not experienced such calamities on a scale associated with other jurisdictions.

We have experienced droughts of various magnitude as a country, with the major one in 1983 during which the vegetation was destroyed by raging bushfires, resulting in famine.

Flood disasters are perennial challenges caused by downpours but the pain of this annual ritual is caused by the utter disregard for the rules governing spatial development by residents of Accra and other cities.

Many forms of weather conditions, mainly typhoon rains and hurricanes, have swept through entire regions in America and Asia, and especially in China and India, causing considerable damage to cities and in some cases, entire regions.

Japan and other Asian countries, as well as in places such as Haiti and Chile, have suffered fatal earthquakes or earth tremors with very dire consequences for lives and property.

Apart from drought and floods, Ghana has been spared other natural disasters such as major earth tremors since 1939 when the earth movement damaged houses in suburbs such as Mamprobi and North Kaneshie.

Since then we have experienced various  earth tremors of insignificant proportions but all the same the tremors send signals that certain areas in the country are earthquake-prone and human activities, especially the construction of human habitat, must conform to certain standards.

Last Thursday night, at about 8 pm, certain parts of Accra and the Central Region experienced an earth tremor.

Although there are no reports of casualties in the affected areas, the obvious question to ask at this stage is how prepared is Ghana to deal with any humanitarian emergency of the levels that occur elsewhere?

Luckily, our governments have established various humanitarian and rescue organisations to offer relief to victims of various disasters. Our security apparatus has on a number of occasions supported these humanitarian agencies in the event of disasters such as floods, to rescue victims and offer humanitarian relief.

But the Daily Graphic thinks the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) ought to be retooled to deliver on their mandate in the event of natural disasters.

The latest earth tremor should provide us with enough signals to adequately resource the Geological Survey Department to provide accurate information on such occurrences and also educate the public on how to manage the erection of structures in earthquake-prone areas and what to do when earthquakes of dire consequences occur.

 We need to prepare adequately to minimise the effects of natural disasters as a stitch in time, they say, saves nine.