Koforidua, March 20, GNA - The management of National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) is evolving a new policy to focus on pre-disaster management instead of post-disaster management to help reduce the cost of disasters on the national economy. Mr Isaac Amoh, National Coordinator of NADMO, who announced this said the new policy, would involve collaborating with identifiable bodies to make a positive impact on the national economy. Mr Amoh was speaking at a meeting with officials of New Juaben Municipal Assembly on how to prevent disasters within the Koforidua Township.

It was the beginning of a week's tour of the Eastern Region to acquaint himself with challenges facing the Eastern Regional Secretariat of NADMO and map out strategies for effective and efficient operations.

Mr Amoh explained that the new paradigm shift was informed by an assessment of the disaster situation in Ghana and the need to take proactive decisions to prevent disasters especially when 80 per cent of such occurrences were self-induced.

He observed that Ghanaians had taken many issues for granted making the country prone to health and man-made disasters that could lead to the death of many people during a major disaster.

Mr Amoh said operations of food vendors around places of convenience at lorry parks should engage the attention of law enforcement agencies to prevent a major outbreak of an epidemic. He said other areas of concern included the haphazard development in urban centres, building on fresh water bodies and indiscriminate littering of the environment.

Mr Amoh said NADMO was mobilizing resources to embark on a massive educational programme to educate the public on the need to protect the environment.

Nana Akwasi Adjei Boateng, New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, noted that Nsukwao residential area was the most affected by perennial flooding within the municipality but efforts were underway to reduce its impact on residents.

He said the assembly had initiated efforts to resettle residents along the embankment of Jumapo hills that had been experiencing landslides.