VRA and NADMO tested emergency preparedness plansto deal effectively with spills
Eastern Minister Seth Kwame Acheampong has commended the Volta River Authority (VRA)in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NADMO) for testing the disaster preparedness plan(EPP) through a simulation program in the Akosombo watershed.
He said the simulation program is the first of its kind in Ghana inthe local government to test the country's preparedness in dealing with real emergenciesarising from the flood. Mr.Acheampong said this during the closing ceremony of the VRA/NADMO EPP program titled: "Da Woho So" 2023, at Dodi World in Akosombo in the Eastern Region. The Akosombo River is a source of pride for the country because it contributed greatlyto the economic growth of Ghana and became a source of production. The irrigation system along the Volta has given a big boost to agriculture,especially in vegetables, maize and rice.
"The surface and underground water resources have contributed a lot to the fish production industry, while the lake transport serves as an alternative to the transport and logistics industry and the supply of drinking water" he said. . Mr.Acheampong said the impact of climate change is not limited to the continent and as a countrywe have a high proportion of extreme weather events leading to loss of life and property.
The government led byPresident Akufo-Addo attachesgreat importance to climate change, so it is not surprising that the country has signed international conventions that provide a framework to address the issues yes, he said. Thedevelopment of the VRA and itsimplementation of the PPE,which identified possibleemergency situations and put in place the related activities to reduce the impact of any excesses and water interruptions, has been a bigstep in the right direction, the regional minister said. .
Mr Acheampong urged all other agencies, especially the energy sector to emulate the good example set by VRA and NADMO to test their preparedness plans. "Let's work together to build a disaster-resilient nation through all our efforts, because prevention is always better than cure," he said. Mr. Seji Saji, NADMO's deputy director, said it is good to have a backup and emergency response plan, but it is not enough if the plan is not tested. Therefore, this exercise is a good basis for evaluating strategies to improve them andto align them with their objectives.
"A large-scale simulation program like this is expensiveto plan and execute, but the benefits outweigh the investment, helping to prevent or mitigate disasters and reduce the number of deaths," Saji said. ,” Saji said. "On behalf of NADMO, which has the responsibility for organizing support and emergency response, among other tasks,we are ready to work togetherwith other power generation companies to prepare theappropriate plan for implementation."
He expressed his gratitude to the United States Embassy in Ghana for their continuedsupport to NADMO by providing technical support from the North Dakota National Guard and providing financial support to ensure the success of the exercise.
Mr. Edward Obeng-Kenzo, the Deputy General Manager forEngineering and Works, VRA, said they learned a lot from the exercise and identified manyareas where they can improve to better respond to water-related floods. He praised the disaster response team for their hard work and dedication in making the program a success.
He explained the authorities'commitment to ensuring that the environment is safe and resilient, promising to worktogether to ensure that they mitigate any future floods
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