Mr. Prosper Bani, a former Head of the United Nations Development Programme Crisis Prevention and Recovery Team for Africa, has urged African leaders to invest in Disaster Risk Prevention and Management to ready the continent to respond to unpredicted crises.
Africa's development, he said, was being challenged by the lack of a strategy to link disaster risk reduction to development initiatives.
"The plans must articulate clearly what the problems are and how they would be addressed. It should reflect a verifiable budget and expenditure plan; and awareness-raising to bring along the citizens to become conscious and aware of their responsibilities in the fight to reduce the spread".
Mr Bani, who served as a Chief of Staff under the John Mahama Administration, said this in a statement he issued, and copied, to the Ghana News Agency, in Accra.
He pointed out that the Africa Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction in July 2004 emphasised the importance of policy makers to look at strengthening institutional frameworks, risk identification, knowledge management, governance and emergency response and demanded political commitment to addressing comprehensive policies on disaster risk reduction as part of development plans.
Mr Bani said the lack of commitments to these posed a major challenge to most African countries.
He stated that the absence of preventive infrastructure had caused significant challenges to the development efforts of most African countries.
This, he explained, had manifested in prolonged droughts, devastating floods, uncontrolled bushfires, landslides, tropical cyclones, volcanic eruptions, health epidemics, pandemics such as Ebola and the new coronavirus, affecting sustainable development.
"There is evidence that the world, and Africa in particular, has been inundated with Protocols, Action Plans, Guidelines, and numerous international agreements on disaster risk reduction, and in particular how to reduce the risk and impact of disasters,” he however, noted.
“The latest has been the development of an Action Plan for Africa following the Sendai Framework of 2015, which was finalised in 2016.
“African leaders must invest in the implementation of the Action Plan, which could mitigate the impact on the economies of member states during this Coronavirus pandemic”.
Source: GNA
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After thought! You guys were in power enjoyed the utmost cash inflow Ghana ever had. You didn't think of that. Your leader(John Mahama) just contracted his brother to dredge the Odawna river only as health solution to a cholera outbreak in the nation. Clueless group that includes you, so give us break with what many have thought, said and have actually started doing something ie 88 hospitals
We need to invest in disaster risk management indeed ! How much did your government invest when you were in power or because you were busy in create l000oot and share so that was no business of yours but have realized suddenly in opposition and in any case did you leave money for that? Talk is cheap so keep on giving instructions like you exist. Abufusem ! You people don't know how you irritate people when you open your cavities what wrong did Ghana do to you that you hate the country like that? Why would you just sit down plan to harm the people and destroy the country because you dont have access to the resources and funds and who are you talking to? If your ndc republic has resources then stop mentioning Ghana's name like you care when you want to destroy her everything from ndc is negativity, negativity about Ghana to the extent ndc flagbearer could use Ghana's name for bribe ftom Air bus and Turkdy energy company AKSA what wrong at all did Ghana do to you people to deserve that? and you come here to talk about disaster risk management for who? We've had enough from you people. Gen Afrifa, Gen Acheampong, Air vice Yaw Boakye, Naval Commander Joy Amedume, Col, Roger Felli, Lt.Col Kotei all died for nothing, Naval commander Joy Amedume was killed because of ghc 50.00 loan you guys are walking around talking sh*it when you've stolen millions of dollars and you threaten Ghanaians with civil war if there is a new voters register! My goodness ! We are crossing our fingers to see what will happen if the register is opened for Ghanaians to exercise their constitutional rights! You don't need a new register "NO PROBLEM" Dont Go to Register "but" never try to STOP a Ghanaian from exercising the constitutional rights! PERIOD!