Ghana Meteorological Agency enhances early warning systems

The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has indicated its commitment to strengthen the agency’s alert distribution systems, refine communication strategies and ensure timely warnings reach those most in need.

The move, it said, would help minimise adverse impacts on lives, infrastructure and ecosystems. “In the face of escalating climate variability, effective communication and validation of forecasts at various timescales are imperative for managing climate hazards such as floods and droughts,” the acting Director-General of the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) Eric Asuman, said.

This year, he said, the agency had “embarked on a mission to fortify our alert at the distribution systems, refine communication strategies and ensure that every warning reaches those who need it most, empowering them to take timely and informed actions.”

Mr Asuman was speaking at a stakeholder workshop on Ghana’s monsoon and common alerting protocols in Accra, organised by the agency in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), a specialised agency of the United Nations, the Volta Basin Authority and the Global Water Partnerships in West Africa.

The workshop, which attracted various stakeholders, including farmers, agricultural extension officers and the media, is part of a project dubbed “Integrating flood and drought management and early warning for climate change adaptation in the Volta basin.”

It was on the theme: “From awareness to action: stakeholder insights into Ghana’s monsoon season,” and aimed to discuss Ghana’s monsoon season and its impact on various sectors to enhance understanding and foster dialogue on improving climate services, accessibility and reliability of seasonal forecasts.

The workshop’s outcomes would shape effective flood and drought management strategies in the Volta Basin and beyond.

Basin

Mr Asuman said the Volta Basin was a vital natural resource that supported livelihoods across various sectors crucial for the socioeconomic development of the country. Recognising the value of the Volta Basin, he said, all stakeholders needed to invest in its sustainable management and preservation.

The GMet, he said, had been working to empower stakeholders with new flood and drought bulletins for early warning and disaster risk reduction.

Climate Services

A Senior Meteorologist and External Relations Officer at the GMet, Maureen Ahiataku, highlighted the agency’s services, including public weather forecasts, marine services, aeronautics services, seasonal forecasts and climate data. She said the GMet was currently running its own local and regional weather prediction models and was working to improve its services. She said the GMet was collaborating with other platforms, including the media, to disseminate climate information. It had also launched a mobile app, which provides weather forecasts and warnings and was developing a new website to provide interactive climate data and information