The Minister for the Interior, Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has urged a shift from reactive to proactive disaster management strategies to safeguard lives and sustain national development.

Speaking in Accra during the commemoration of the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), the Minister emphasised the importance of investing in resilience rather than waiting to respond after disasters strike.

The event, themed “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters,” brought together government officials, development partners, and disaster management experts to explore innovative ways to strengthen Ghana’s preparedness and response systems.

“Investing in resilience is essential for sustainable development.

Every Cedi spent on prevention and preparedness saves many more that would otherwise be lost to disaster response and recovery,” Alhaji Muntaka noted.

The Minister highlighted Ghana’s ongoing progress in advancing disaster risk management through key initiatives such as the Ghana Hydrological Authority’s flood mitigation projects and the Ghana Urban Resilience and Integrated Development (GARID) Project.

However, he acknowledged that more work remains, particularly in integrating Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into local governance systems, boosting domestic financing for resilience programmes, and promoting Public-Private Partnerships that leverage innovation and investment for risk reduction.

The Acting Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Major (Rtd) Dr. Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, reaffirmed NADMO’s commitment to modernising emergency response and protecting lives and property across the country.

“Government is working to transform and strengthen NADMO’s operations for a more resilient Ghana, but we also need citizens’ support to achieve this goal,” he said.

The 2025 IDDRR commemoration served as a national platform to reinforce the message that disaster preparedness and resilience-building are key to sustainable national growth and community safety.