Ghana receives National Disaster Risk Financing Strategy to strengthen resilience

Ghana has taken a major step towards strengthening disaster preparedness and climate resilience with the formal handover of the National Disaster Management and Risk Financing Strategy Framework and Implementation Plan (2025-2030) to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

The strategy, developed with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through its Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF), marks a shift from reactive disaster response to proactive, pre-arranged financing mechanisms aimed at saving lives, reducing economic losses, and accelerating recovery.

It was approved by the government in December 2025 and is designed to ensure predictable, timely, and cost-effective financing for emergencies.

Speaking at the ceremony held at NADMO Headquarters in Accra on January 21, 2026, the Director-General of NADMO, Major Dr Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, underscored the importance of the initiative.

Ghana loses GH¢300 million annually to floods - UNDP

“The development of this strategy marks a shift in Ghana’s focus from responding to disasters to actively managing them. The benefits are enormous, and it is more important to invest in disaster management than in recovery,” he said.

He added that the framework introduces innovative tools, including sovereign and sub-sovereign risk financing, private risk-transfer solutions, and improved fiscal risk planning, aligned with global standards such as the Sendai Framework, the Paris Agreement, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Head of Environment and Climate at UNDP Ghana, Abdul-Razak Saeed, noted that Ghana loses an estimated US$200 million annually to disasters, with more than two million people affected each year by floods, fires, and droughts.

“This strategy shifts Ghana from reacting after disasters strike to preparing ahead of time with pre-arranged financial protection mechanisms that save both lives and public resources,” he stated.

UNDP also commended NADMO’s leadership in advancing disaster risk reduction, particularly in early warning systems and community preparedness, and called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, the private sector, and development partners to ensure effective implementation.

“Every dollar invested in disaster risk reduction yields significant returns in avoided losses,” Abdul-Razak Saeed noted.

Major Dr Kuyon expressed gratitude to UNDP for its technical and financial support and reaffirmed NADMO’s commitment to working closely with partners to build a disaster-resilient country.

The event brought together senior government officials, representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the National Insurance Commission, development partners, civil society organisations, academia, and members of the media.

MA