Effective strategies needed to manage natural disasters

Mr Seth Ahyiah, Eastern Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), has called for the adoption of effective strategies to minimize the impact of natural disasters, such as the recent landslide that occurred at Nyensi, near Adukrom, in the Eastern Region, which claimed three lives.

He expressed worry that many structures were springing up at disaster-prone places including mountainous areas or hilltops in some parts of the country without safety measures.

Mr Ahyiah in an interview with the GNA, on Monday in Koforidua, urged the media and relief organizations to intensify their education on the causes, prevention and reduction of impact of natural disasters.

He said even though in Japan nearly 300 tremors were recorded daily, they caused little or no havoc because structures had been built to meet environmental and safety standards.

Mr Ahyiah said the death toll in the Nyensi disaster could have been higher and even feared that the entire community could have been destroyed but for the vegetation cover in the area that helped to block some of the huge boulders from the mountain.

He said it was the third time a slither had occurred in the area and explained that the present one was fatal because of the sheer volume of debris flow and the rickety nature of buildings.

Mr Solomon Anum, the Regional Director of the Geological Survey Department (GSD), in a recent interview with GNA, cautioned farmers particularly those operating along the foothills of the mountains against going to farm during heavy rains, owing to the changing nature of the rock configuration in the region.

Aside the Nyensi slither, the region has also experienced landslides at Nkurakan, New Tafo, Aburi, Jumapo and Nsawam.