Tamale, June 28, GNA - The Northern Regional Coordinator for the Natio nal Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Alhaji Mahama Abdulai Silimboma , on Monday suggested the inclusion of NADMO in the planning of towns and cities to be able to avert building in unauthorized places. He said the planning and layout of the country's cities and towns is d one by the Town and Country Planning Department while lands were demarcated b y Lands Commission without NADMO but when disasters occur as a result of unauthorized structures, NADMO is called to answer.

Alhaji Silimboma said the inclusion of NADMO would ensure that structu res were not built in flood-prone areas while structures that are built would be made to be of high standard. He was addressing a meeting of the Northern Regional Platform on Disas ter Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Tamale on Monday. The Platform, which was formed last year, is aimed at formulating strategies that would be used to address pertinent disasters confronting the region.

Alhaji Silimboma said 13,517 people were affected by disasters in 91 communities in the region. Mrs. Diana Boakye, Director of Monitoring, Evaluation Research Information and Training of NADMO, urged the Platform members to develop policies, plans to prevent, mitigate, and prepare for disasters. The Deputy Northern Regional Minister Mr. San Nasamu Asibigi, call ed for the redesigning of traditional homes, especially in the northern part s of the country where most of the houses are prone to destruction.