A presentation that overlooks Ghana's existing Disaster Management Plans and makes a recommendation to fuse it with mobile Disaster Recovery Regulations to strengthen the effectiveness of the existing plans

1. HARMONIZING DISASTER
MANAGEMENT PLANS [CASE FROM GHANA]
By. Derek Barnabas Laryea
derek.laryea@gmail.com

2. Outline
 Background
 Country Profile
 Type of Disasters
 Status Quo
 Risks with Status Quo
 Summary
 Policy Recommendation

3. Background
 Ghana’s National Disaster Management Plan
(NDMP) was first drafted in 1997 was reviewed
in 2015.
 Ghana’s NDMP provides practical guidance for
disaster management during all phases of
disasters but the relevant organizations to
ensure effective disaster management during
crisis are inadequate.
 The mobile sector in Ghana has enabled 19
million Ghanaians, about 60% of the population,
to access the benefits of mobile

4. Country Profile
General Indicators
 Population: 27million (GSS 2015)
 Area: 238,537sq.km
 Region: West Africa Sub-Region
 ICT Regulator: National Information
Technology Agency (NITA)
Frequency Indicators
 Regulator: National Communications Authority
 Number of TV Stations: 93
 Radio Stations: 313
ICT Indicators
 Telecom Operators: 6 Operators (NCA, 2017)
 Broadband Wireless Access: 4 Operators
 Mobile Penetration: 130.91% (Sept 2017)
 Voice Subs: 37.45M (Sept 2017)
 Data Subs: 22.10M (July 2017)
 Domestic Bandwidth Capacity: 16TBps (MoC,
2015)
 Bandwidth Cost Dedicated: $3,000
 Submarine Cables: 5 submarine cable firms
 Internet Service Providers: 30 (NCA, Ghana)
 VSAT Data Providers: 57
 Domain name: .gh

5. Urbanization & Geography
Urban Geography is about 46%
Rural Geography is about 54%
Ghana has a lot of Mountains,
Rivers and Forests with extremely
large vegetation cover.

6. Types of Disasters (1)
Key
• The above are all natural disasters that may occur in Ghana.
Natural
• Pest and Insect Infestation
Disasters
• Disease Epidemics
• Fire Disasters
• Hydrometeorological Disasters
• Geological Disasters

7. Types of Disasters (2)
Key
• The above are man-made disasters that may occur in Ghana.
• Failure of structures refers of collapse of buildings, dams, mines etc.
Man-Made • Ethnic Conflicts/Wars
• Aviation and Lake/Maritime
Accidents
• Pollution of Water Bodies
• Industrial Accidents
• Failure of Structures
• Nuclear/Radiological Accidents
• Oil Spillage

8. Status Quo
Key
• NADMO is National Disaster Management Organization
• NADMO, is the Government Agency setup to manage
disasters in a more scientific, and effective manner
through the use of the NDMP.
• The pre-disaster phase constitutes measures taken to prevent man-
made disasters and minimize the effects of natural ones.
• This emergency phase constitutes immediate actions necessary to
meet the requirements of the victims.
• The post-disaster phase involves rehabilitation, reconstruction and
resettlement.
The NDMP captures disaster management in these
phases;

9. Risks with Status Quo
 The existing NDMP is inadequate to
effectively deal with a severe disaster
 Opportunities to partner NADMO for support
is during the response stages of disasters
which is inappropriate without a clear and
existing prepared plan in place for all
stakeholders
 Existing NDMP does not spell out clearly
protocols to adopt for example to warn the

10. Summary
 Over the years Ghana has not suffered a
major full blown disaster which has taken over
24hours to salvage
 Urgent need for mobile industry and sector
Regulators to engage the Government through
NADMO to strengthen the existing NDMP
through the right preparation and incorporation
of effective protocols.

11. Policy Recommendation (1)
 Urgent need to harmonize other existing mobile
communications disaster response regulations
(DRR) with existing NDMP
 Technical Considerations
 Regulatory Considerations
 Partnership Opportunities
 These regulations and review should effectively
position NADMO together with private sector and
strengthen the delivery of its mandate with
embedded MNO DRR plans between parties,
prepared and tabled way before a disaster
emanates.

12. Policy Recommendation (2)
 Focusing on Recommendation 1 is a clear
proposal to strengthen NADMO rather than create
another parallel organization or bureaucracy.
 This is a show of goodwill from industry and
Government will be required to give the necessary
backing and support to review the existing Act
517, (1997) to reposition the Agency as a potent
disaster management Authority with effective
partners while propping the NDMP with clear
strategies to deal with all sorts of emergencies
and national disasters.

13. Conclusion
Materials Sourced
 www.nca.org.gh
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MuO8r8mlD4
 Disaster Management – A Disaster Manager’s Handbook, Nick Carter,
ADB, 1991
 http://www.statsghana.gov.gh/
 Mobile Operator Data
THANK YOU!!!