The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and Zoomlion Ghana Limited have launched a 12-week nationwide flood awareness campaign to promote responsible waste disposal and reduce the impact of flooding during this rainy season.
The initiative, dubbed “No Do No Do,” seeks to educate the public on the dangers of indiscriminate waste disposal, particularly the habit of dumping refuse into drains and watercourses, which authorities say remains a major contributor to flooding across the country.
Speaking at the launch in Accra last Tuesday, the Greater Accra Regional Director of NADMO, Dennis Adjannor Nartey, said that blocked watercourses and poor drainage systems were persistent challenges that continued to claim lives, destroy property and disrupt livelihoods during heavy rain.
Flooding
He said flooding should not be seen as an unavoidable natural disaster, but as a preventable challenge that required collective action by government institutions, private-sector organisations and local communities.
“Flooding is not a natural disaster. It is a challenge we can solve when the government, the private sector and communities work together,” Mr Nartey stated and stressed the need for a coordinated national response to the problem.
He explained that the partnership between NADMO and Zoomlion would combine technology, community engagement and practical interventions to tackle the root causes of flooding.
Key activities under the campaign, Mr Nartey disclosed, would include drain desilting, community sensitisation, public education and the strengthening of early warning systems.
He, therefore, urged Ghanaians, institutions and community leaders to embrace the “No Do No Do” message and make responsible waste disposal a daily habit.
He pointed out that preventing floods required a collective commitment to protecting drains, safeguarding communities, as well as preserving lives and property.
The General Manager of Governmental Affairs, Strategic Partnerships, Corporate Affairs, Media and Brands Department at the Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Emma Adwoa Appiah Osei-Duah, said the campaign carried a simple but powerful message aimed at changing public behaviour and encouraging environmental responsibility.
“The message is clear, do not dump, do not block.
Let water flow,” she said and lamented that during every rainy season, Ghana suffered avoidable losses because drains and watercourses became choked with waste.
Ms Osei-Duah said sustainable flood prevention began with individual actions, adding that residents have a critical role to play in keeping their surroundings clean and ensuring drainage channels remain free-flowing.
She said Zoomlion’s extensive experience in waste management, together with NADMO’s mandate for disaster preparedness and response, provided a strong foundation for a successful nationwide campaign capable of driving lasting behavioural change.
The campaign, Ms Osei-Duah indicated, would feature intensive public education programmes, stakeholder engagements, community outreach activities and clean-up in flood-prone communities across the country.
