A university lecturer and consultant to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under its Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF), Prof. Asaah Mohammed, has urged the government to allocate a percentage of revenue from the petroleum and mining sectors to fund disaster risk management in Ghana.

According to Prof. Mohammed, activities within these two key sectors are closely linked to potential disasters, making it essential to establish a dedicated disaster management fund to respond effectively when crises occur.

Citing the Appiatse explosion as an example, he noted that the absence of such a fund contributed to the government’s financial struggles in redeveloping the town after the tragic incident.

“If such a fund had existed, the government would not have faced so many challenges in rebuilding Appiatse,” he explained, describing the proposal as “a way of thinking outside the box” to ensure sustainable disaster financing.

He suggested that 2 to 3 percent  of these taxes can be made available for disaster risk management

Prof.  Mohammed made the recommendation during a workshop in Accra, where stakeholders met to review and provide input on the draft framework for disaster risk management being developed by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

He explained that the framework aims to strengthen NADMO’s capacity to conduct simulation exercises, improve disaster preparedness, and enhance risk management systems nationwide.

“If this proposal is adopted, it will significantly improve Ghana’s approach to managing disaster risks,” he emphasised, further clarifying that a disaster occurs when there is loss of lives and property, whereas incidents without such losses remain hazards.

The Head of the Environment and Climate Cluster Dr. Abdul-Razak Saeed, at UNDP, commended stakeholders for their contributions to the draft framework and stated how important their objective inputs will go a long way to enrich the final document to be produced.

 He stressed the need for inclusive insurance and financial systems to protect vulnerable populations from the financial impact of disasters.

“When market fires or floods occur, it is the ordinary woman in places like Nima who suffers the most,” Dr. Saeed observed.

“We must ensure that market women and other at-risk groups have access to financial solutions to provide relief in times of crisis.”