A call has gone out for Ghana to strengthen its disaster financing systems to better protect vulnerable citizens, as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) urges more inclusive financial mechanisms to cushion communities against shocks from natural and human-induced disasters.
At a stakeholder workshop in Accra to review Ghana’s draft Disaster Risk Management Framework, UNDP officials and experts stressed that the country’s current system lacks sustainable funding and insurance structures to support victims when disaster strikes.
Dr. Abdul-Razak Saeed, Head of the Environment and Climate Cluster at UNDP, said the absence of inclusive insurance schemes leaves many low-income Ghanaians exposed to financial ruin in the aftermath of floods, fires, and explosions.
“When market fires or floods occur, it is the ordinary woman in places like Nima who suffers the most,” Dr. Saeed noted. “We must ensure that market women and other at-risk groups have access to financial solutions that provide relief in times of crisis.”
He said UNDP’s Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF) is supporting Ghana’s efforts to build financial resilience and promote innovative funding mechanisms for disaster response.
Echoing this, Prof. Asaah Mohammed, a UNDP consultant and lecturer, proposed a more sustainable source of funding through the petroleum and mining sectors. He suggested allocating 2–3 percent of taxes from these industries to a national disaster fund, arguing that the sectors’ activities are often linked to potential disasters.
“If such a fund had existed, the government would not have faced so many challenges in rebuilding Appiatse,” Prof. Mohammed said, referring to the devastating 2022 explosion that destroyed the town.
He added that the proposal represents “a way of thinking outside the box” to ensure that disaster response is not constrained by budget shortfalls.
The workshop brought together representatives from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), academia, civil society, and development partners to refine the draft framework, which seeks to improve preparedness, strengthen risk management systems, and institutionalize simulation exercises.
Participants agreed that a sustainable financing model, backed by inclusive insurance systems, is crucial for Ghana’s resilience against future disasters.
