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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has urged governments across every level to prioritise budget for disasters, saying 75% of West Africa’s population is exposed to risks and adversely impacted.
The Deputy Director, Climate Change Department, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Ghana, Frank Nansam-Aggrey, said there is a need for coordinated efforts to tackle disaster in West Africa.
He spoke at the mid-term consultative meeting of the Regional Committee for Disaster Management in West Africa organised by the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja.
Nansam-Aggrey said: “Disaster issues have become very complex. Every now and then, we hear stories in West Africa about disasters that affect our population. Disasters have exposed many in the subregion."
According to recent research, about 75 per cent of people are exposed to one form of disaster or the other.
He added, "Many are exposed to disaster. Is it flooding? If it is not flooding then it is drought, if it is not drought, it is conflict, so it has become imperative that the subcommittee look at the issues of disaster critically for our population is being affected every now and then.”
Nansam-Aggrey, who acknowledged that ECOWAS is doing the best within the limits of its resources, said, “But for financial constraints, sometimes it does not make the bloc meet up to the needs of its member countries.”
He added that, “The countries need to do more, disaster management is looked at as abstract issues, making budgeting to become somewhat abstract. We need to go the extra mile to clearly and decisively budget for disaster issues so that it is not left to chance and as if it is futuristic.
“It is actually with us. We need to make more efforts from community level, district level to the national level, and all actors must be involved to channel all the resources we can gather to make sure we are all safe in the subregion.
“The time has come for us to begin to look at the West Africa regional preparedness against extreme disaster occurrences such as floods, fires and other disasters causing total havoc to human existence.
"Generally, disaster occurrences occasioned by natural and man-made hazard events have increased in the past three decades causing a lot of distress situations to over 75% of West Africa’s population.”
He lamented that as reported in the ECOWAS Policy for Disaster Risk Reduction document, a large number of people and their livelihoods in West African countries were exposed and vulnerable to at least one hazard event which is further compounded by conflicts and diseases.
He noted that in some instances, disasters had put development at risk and likewise, development decisions had led to increases in disaster risks.
He, however said, “In response to these scenarios and through the support of national governments and the ECOWAS Commission to some extent, member states are increasingly intensifying their interests and efforts in disaster risk reduction.
"In spite of these efforts, significant disaster events such as flooding, sea erosion, and drought keep escalating in severity and magnitude in the sub-region causing budget overruns for member states."
The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, who was represented by the agency’s Director, Disaster Risk Reduction, Dr. Daniel Obot, said: “Over the years, the subregion has experienced a series of disasters, crises and conflicts that have posed serious threats to the human population, the environment, infrastructure and means of livelihood.”
He added that: “With this disaster scenario, the regional recovery roadmap, the regional resilience strategy, the roster of experts amongst others will have to be deployed for significant progress to be recorded in the management of disaster risk in West Africa in line with the ECOWAS goal.”
On his part, the Head of ECOWAS Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Division, Mohammed Ibrahim said: “Countries are particularly vulnerable to sudden onset events such as floods, alongside ongoing issues like land degradation, water scarcity, and coastal erosion, which have increased in occurrence and severity due to the adverse effects of climate change.
“Conflict remains the primary driver of displacement, but climate change has significantly impacted migration decisions across West Africa over the last few decades.
"The overlap of conflict and climate disasters underscores the urgent need for comprehensive and coordinated responses to break the cycle of climate change and armed conflict and to increase humanitarian access and funding that supports resilience and adaptation to climate change.”
