Six communities in Tamale including Nalung-Fong benefit from Flood Risk and Adaption project

The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu has called for change behaviors toward eliminating disasters including floods in the communities.

He said communities can adapt to climate change by avoiding acts such as building in water ways and in low lying areas. They should also avoid chocking drains with plastics among other human activities like indiscriminate tree cutting, which are the drivers of climate change.

Alhaji Saibu made the call in an address read on his behalf by the Northern Regional Director of NADMo, Alhaji Abdullah at a Community durbar at Nalung Fong in the Tamale Metropolis.

Dubbed Community Flood Risk and Adaptation in Tamale, the project follows two years of academic research in six communities; Nalung, Kalariga, Koblimahagu, Nyoahini South and Buipela which are prone to floods and their health and wellbeing have been increasingly impacted negatively.

As part of the adaptation strategy; the affected communities and their respective opinion leaders were mobilized and empowered to take actions towards reversing the trend of flooding.

The co-creation activity involved; the Tamale Technical University, the University of Ghana, Imperial College and the University of Liverpool both in the United Kingdom as well as the Tamale Metro Assembly and the National Disasters Management Organisation (NADMO).

The Minister emphasized that the region is already a poverty endemic area hence actions should be geared towards reducing poverty instead of compounding the dire situations. He therebyencouraged communities within flood zones to take early warning seriously.

A representative from Imperial College, Dr. Ben Howard, emphasizing on collaborative research and community engagement, said collecting information on climate change by itself; is not enough action.

The partnership, he explained had been geared towards translating same into impact. Dr. Howard further advocated government’s significant support to local communities and to city authorities in their quest to deal with adaptation strategies and coping better with climate change effects.

From the University of Ghana, Professor Hamdia Al-hassan, highlighted higher institution of learning’s role in local development saying; their purpose is to team up with others including communities in undertaking evidence based research that would informed policy decisions and shape national discourse.

At the Nalung durbar, the beneficiaries communities were educated on tree planting; its significance – the dos’ and don’t as well as sensitization on risk disaster prevention particularly, floods.

A weather station was also commissioned at Nalung under the project, to aid the communities with weather information and in planning their activities.

All the six communities were given free tree seedlings – species including Mahogany, Mangoes and Acacia in large quantities for planting in their various communities.

In addition, they received logistics including wheel barrows, shovels and other protective wears to enable them undertake clean up exercises in their respective communities to reduce impact of flooding.

Story by:

Nelson Adanuti Nyadror