NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT ORGANISATION (NADMO)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

By Act of parliament, Act 517 of 1996 which established the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Districts are required to develop comprehensive Disaster Management plans to manage disasters and emergencies that are likely to occur in their areas of jurisdiction. The plan should anticipate disasters that could arise from natural and man-made causes and be consistent with the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP), hence Ada East District Disaster Management Planning (AEDDMP).

INTRODUCTION

The District Management Plan (DDMP) is prepared by the Ada East District with assistance from National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP). It outlines the activities that have to be carried out by the various response/ stakeholder agencies to ensure effective disaster management in the Ada East District; these tasks cover all the cycles of Disaster Management namely;

• Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness
• Emergency Response and Rehabilitation
• Relief and Reconstruction

The main objective of these tasks is to provide timely intervention and information meeting the user needs of disaster victims.

VISION STATEMENT

NADMO seeks to enhance the capacity of society to prevent and manage disasters and improve the livelihood of the poor and vulnerable in rural communities through effective disaster management, social mobilization and employment generation.

MISSION STATEMENT

To manage disasters by coordinating the resources of government institutions and non-governmental agencies and developing the capacity communities to respond effectively to disasters and improve their livelihood through social mobilization, employment generation and poverty reduction projects.

This is done by:

1. Reviewing of National, Regional and District Disaster Management Plans (DDMPs) for effective implementation.
2. Linking Disaster Management programs to the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) and re-afforestation.
3. Building capacity of staff and stakeholders.
4. Promoting Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and climate change Reduction Management nationwide
5. Public awareness creation through media discussion, public education and training of community members and Disaster Volunteer Groups (DVGs).
6. Provision of skills and inputs for DVGs for employment generation and poverty reduction.
7. Rehabilitation and reconstruction of educational and other social facilities destroyed by fires, floods, rainstorms and other disasters.

DISTRICT SECRETARIAT OF NADMO, ADA EAST

The NADMO District Office in the Ada East District is located in the premises of the District Assembly. The District Office is headed by the District Director under which the following departments are assigned to perform various tasks. Administratively, these departments include:

1. Administration
2. Accounts
3. Operations/ MERIT (monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Information Technology)
4. Geological and Hydro-Meteorological
5. Fire/ Lighting
6. Disease, Epidemics, Pest and Insect Infestation
7. Relief Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
8. Man-made Disaster
9. Manpower Mobilization

The District Disaster Management Committee is chaired by the District Chief Executive (DCE) and other agencies like Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service etc. the District Director is the secretary of the committee.

Currently the District NADMO office is headed by Mr. Jonathan Dokutso, who was appointed to act as the District Director until a substantive boss is appointed. The District Secretariat has designated four (4) zones within the District to help in Disaster management and emergencies. The four zones are;

1. Ada Foah Zone
2. Big Ada Zone
3. Kasseh Zone
4. Pediatorkope Zone

Each Zone consists of NADMO staff and Disaster Volunteer Groups (DVGs). Periodically and in every quarter of the year, these zones create their own Action Plan in Disaster Prevention by creating awareness to the general public together with their education programs and in turn report to the Disaster Office. The District Office always submit their quarterly reports to the Regional Office of NADMO in Accra for consideration and a copy is sent to the District Assembly.

As part of the planning process, the District secretariat of NADMO reviews the performance of their previous plans. The review enables them access the level and status of implementation of planned activities, document challenges and lessons learnt. In addition, the development of the future plans.

Currently the revitalization of disaster volunteer Groups (DVGs) in all the schools at the basic level within the communities is ongoing to ensure that disaster prevention is accepted as a National duty and this becomes a shared responsibility. As we continue to develop as a district, we must remember that development breeds its own unavoidable hazards which if not managed well will develop into a disaster. That is why the District is championing the course for Disaster Risk Reduction, Prevention and climate change to prevent and mitigate disasters.

The District warehouse is located in the premises of the Non-Formal Education in Ada-Foah. Additionally and positively, NADMO in the District is more formidable than ever and for that matter the staff is equal to the task. Sensitization and awareness creation is widely spread in the District and its catchment areas. The District cannot claim glory without acknowledging the selfless efforts of the District Assembly, opinion leaders, Response Agencies (e.g. Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire service, Ghana health service etc.)

HAZARD MAPPING

Hazard mapping in disaster management is a process of identifying and documenting geographic information in hazards and their potential degree of risk. In light of this, the District secretariat of NADMO identified some disaster-prone areas within the catchment areas of the zones Designated.

1. Ada Foah zone

• Azizanya
• Azizakpe
• Ayigbo
• Alorkpem
• Totope
• Ada-Foah (Teye Mensa-Panya)

1. Kasseh Zone

• Kasseh market Area
• Kasseh Old Rural Bank Area
• Kasseh clinic Area
• Kunyenya

1. Big Ada Zone

• Big Ada
• Luhuese
• Obane
• Kwalakpoyom
• Gorm
• Atortorkope
• Addonokope
• MacCarthy kope

1. Pediatorkope zone

• Adjim
• Amersikpey
• Alorwusode kope
• Tsawetsonya
• Aflive
• Kewuse
• Tuanikope

SAFE HAVEN

The District Secretariat has identified some open spaces at vantage and safe points in and amid the communities which could be used as safe havens in times of emergencies.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF HYDRO-METEOLOGICAL HAZARDS

Unfortunately, we are faced with a global challenge i.e climate change. In Ada and by extension Ghana we are already vulnerable to coastal flooding, the likely consequences are that, the rising of water levels of the ocean may cause more serious coastal flooding. Climate change is one of the biggest challenge we are facing in the District, and for that matter.

The District has charged staff and other stakeholders/ response agencies to be proactive in awareness creation and advocacy programs prevent if not mitigate of minimize the intensity of disasters. In most of the communities, the District secretariat has tasked the communities to take up the challenge to fight bush burning and flooding and plant trees in order to protect what belongs to them to sustain life and natural resources and to ensure development.

All of us must take up the responsibility of saving or protecting our natural, the land, forest, water resources and other resources. We should stop bush burning, sand weaning at the beaches, which makes us move vulnerable to climate related hazards or risks. All hands must therefore be on desk to protect our dear District, Ada, and by extension Ghana.

Government, is doing everything possible through NADMO and other response agencies to assist those who in one way or the other have been affected by floods or any other emergencies. That is why, when NADMO goes out for an outreach program or sensitize the communities within the flood prone areas, we appeal to them to heed to advice from the disaster management agencies to minimizing the impact of flood.

  It is gratifying to note that the number of disasters recorded within the past years has reduced in the District Assembly, NADMO, DVGs, other response agencies, opinion leaders and chiefs. In line with achieving the prevention or mitigating disasters in the District NADMO successfully chalked the following:

• District wide hazard mapping
• Support to strengthen and develop early warning signs
• Public awareness and advocacy campaign
• Revitalization/ reactivation of Disaster Volunteer Groups
• Ongoing preparation of building guide for flood prone areas.

It is worthwhile to remind ourselves of some common obstacles across the District, which include;

• Lack of skills within the community to mitigate the potential threat of hazards
• Weak emergency service
• Structural causes, including the absence of necessary disaster management legislation.

In essence, good management, underpinned by identification, appraisal implementation, review and evaluation will improve relevance and effectiveness or efficiency. Furthermore, accurate information and good reporting from the field will better equip us to draw informed conclusions and shape future DRR endeavours.

• Lack of fund for dredging at Azizanya which always cause flooding whenever it rains heavily and the dredging will also help in curbing the tidal waves.