18-Member disaster management committee inaugurated
An 18-member regional disaster management committee for the Central Region has been inaugurated to efficiently manage and mitigate disasters in the region.
The committee will manage and oversee disaster prevention, management, risk and mitigation for minimised impact.
The committee, chaired by the Central Regional Minister, Ekow Eduamoah Payin Okyere, will particularly work to help reduce disaster risks, safeguard lives, ensure community resilience and enhance disaster management efforts.
It will also target safeguarding livelihoods and the environment against possible disasters in the region.
The Central Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Emmanuel Kwesi Dawood Mensah, speaking at the inauguration ceremony, said the inauguration of the committee was in line with Ghana’s legal and institutional framework for disaster risk management, reduction and mitigation.
He said the formation of the committee aligned with Ghana’s legal and institutional framework for disaster risk management, which mandated coordinated disaster governance at all levels.
Defining step
"This event is more than just a ceremonial occasion. It is a clear signal of our shared commitment to safeguarding the lives, livelihoods and environment of the people of the Central Region.
It marks a defining step towards proactive, coordinated and community-centred disaster management in our region," he added.
The occasion was also used to inaugurate another platform, a 24-member regional disaster risk reduction and climate change management platform chaired by the Omanhen of the Abeadze Traditional Area, Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII, to spearhead disaster risk reduction and climate change management.
Mr Mensah said the Central Region, with its diverse topography and rich coastal and riverine ecosystems, was unfortunately no stranger to the threats of natural and human-induced disasters.
"We have witnessed, in recent years, the destructive impact of flooding, coastal erosion and environmental degradation from illegal sand winning and mining activities.
Warning signs
"These are not just incidents, they are warnings.
They remind us that the management of disasters must never be reactive; it must be strategic, inclusive and well-coordinated”.
He also recalled the recent collapse of buildings within some communities in the region and increased fire outbreaks, among other incidents, as a caution for prompt action.
Foster partnerships
“Let us be clear: no single agency can manage disasters alone.
This committee must become a platform for trust, data-sharing, joint training, simulations and action.
We must embed disaster risk reduction into every sector—from our communities and workplaces to our schools,” Mr Mensah emphasised.
For his part, the Chairman of the committee, Mr Okyere, called on all relevant stakeholders to collaborate to make the region safe, resilient and prepared to mitigate any future disaster.
The members of the committee are the Regional NADMO Director, Mr Mensah; the Paramount Chief of Abeadze, Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII; the acting Regional Coordinating Director, Bless Darkey; the Regional Commander of GNFS, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Mary Attigah Mensah, and representatives from the Ghana Health Service, Social Welfare, Information Services Department and others.
