The Water Resources Commission in collaboration with the Global Water Partnership in West Africa (GWP-WA) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have opened a four-day national capacity building conference in Tamale for actors in the national portion of the Volta Basin on gender mainstreaming in early warning systems for flood forecasting and integrated flood risk management.
Participants will be trained on how to effectively apply the methods and tools of gender mainstreaming in the planning, programming, budgeting and monitoring and evaluation processes.
Mr Joachim Ayiiwe Abungba, Principal Basin Officer in charge of the Black Volta Basin explained to THE CUSTODIAN in an interview that, the workshop is aimed at building the capacities of institutions, agencies and districts on flood and drought management.
He indicated the focus is End-to-End early warning systems and flood forecast and an integrated flood management, stressing that: “We want to take participants through the concepts of flood and drought management, concepts of integrated floods management and how to mainstream them especially with regards to gender in our various activities at our work places and even at the district levels.”
However he disclosed the four day capacity building training will be in two sessions [First session for the technicians] and the other section for decision makers on Thursday 21st October, 2021, to highlight the key messages of the training that the participants will want to share with the decision makers including the traditional authorities.
Executive Director for the Volta Basin Authority (VBA), Dessouassi Yaovi Robert in his welcome address said since 1970, the mother basin, like any other river basins in West Africa, Africa and elsewhere, has suffered the characteristic adversities of climate change – that is, extreme phenomenon such as flood and drought.
According to him, this each time is marked by considerable loss of human lives and or property damage.
He noted although we cannot avoid such extreme hydro-climatic phenomenon, however, concerted effort is needed to reduce current and future climate risks on ecosystem and the inhabitants, especially, women and the youth in rural areas.
However, Mr Dessouassi Yaovi Robert expressed worry that these vulnerable people, (who represent a very large part of our population) are either less represented or not involved at all in the various decision-making bodies.
“Such a situation which stems basically from some socio-cultural practices and rules, have generated and aggravated inequalities over the years, thereby, limiting efforts towards climate change adaptation and resilience.
This is the more reason why it is of absolute necessity to take gender issues into account in flood risks prevention and management in order to reduce the various adversities suffered by our population” he emphasized.
The VBA Executive Director further thanked its technical and financial partners for their multiple support particularly the Climate Adaptation Fund for financing this workshop to enhance the knowledge and skills of the national, regional and local institutions in terms of flood and drought management in order to curb the aggravation of poverty.
For his part, Mr Ramesh Tripathi, the World Meteorological Organization Project Manager for the Volta Basin Flood and Drought Management (VFDM) underscored the importance of mainstreaming gender into end-to-end early warning systems for flood forecasting and integrated flood risks management.
He noted this will support the active involvement of women, men, youth and other vulnerable groups in various activities and decision making on flood management.
Ramesh Tripathi added it is important to mainstream gender in order to understand gender related needs and integrate existing capacities and implement actions to minimize the loss of lives, property damage and impact to environmental service.
He explained that gender mainstreaming is one of the priorities identified by the consultant of the project and it has been endorsed by the adaptation.
Meanwhile, the Tamale Metropolitan Chief Director, Mr Gilbert Nuuri-teg in an address presented on his behalf commended the Water Resources Commission and its partners for their continuous efforts in the protection of water resources and the related ecosystems in the country and in the Volta Basin in particular.
He said the collaboration between the Water Resources Commission (WRC), its international partners, the Volta Basin Authority (VBA), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Global Water Partnership (GWP) in implementing the Integrated Flood and Drought Management Project is very timely and a step in the right direction.
According to Mr Gilbert Nuuri-teg, the importance of an initiative like this, especially in the midst of the current climate changes cannot be overemphasized.
“It has been realized that stakeholders in the Volta Basin as a whole still require some requisite planning and monitoring skills and tools to ensure the implementation of climate smart actions hence the organization of this workshop”
The Government of Ghana the Tamale Metropolitan Chief Director explained is mindful of the central role water and its related resources play in our quest to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“While supporting the exploitation of water resources for the socio-economic development of our people, we are also aware of the need to safeguard the biological diversity and ecosystems. It is against this background that we give our unconditional support to programs such as this” he indicated.
