The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has called for increased investment in weather monitoring infrastructure and climate resilience systems to strengthen Ghana’s ability to predict and respond to extreme weather events.
Nana Kofi Opoku, the Principal Meteorologist at the Agency said although some progress had been made in expanding the country’s observation network, more investment was urgently needed to improve forecasting accuracy and disaster preparedness.
During an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Monday, he explained that accurate weather forecasting depended heavily on strong observational systems, forecasting tools, radars and monitoring stations.
“The more observation networks we have, the better we are able to get data and the better the models will run to generate a forecast. So it is very, very important,” he said.
Mr Opoku also highlighted the need for more weather radars, noting that radar systems provided finer-resolution data than satellites by tracking the speed and movement of storms and predicting the time they were likely to hit specific areas.
“Again, we need multiple number of radars because these radars give us finer resolutions when the systems are approaching the country.”
He revealed that the agency had recently received support from UNESCO, which had, year alone, provided nine automatic weather stations to strengthen the country’s monitoring systems.
However, Mr Opoku noted that the current number of weather stations remained inadequate for effective nationwide coverage.
Ghana previously had nearly 600 weather stations, but many were lost over time due to poor maintenance and logistical challenges, reducing the number at one point to about 60, he explained.
Mr Opoku said the agency was gradually rebuilding the network but required sustained financial and institutional support.
“We need no less than 600 well-equipped stations across the entire country. At the moment, we have just in excess of about 150,” he said.
He appealed to donor agencies, government institutions and development partners to support investments in early warning systems and climate resilience infrastructure.
Mr Opoku urged authorities to expand drainage systems, prevent construction on waterways and wetlands, and invest in flood-resilient infrastructure.
“Most of the drainage systems have become too small. The city is developing, the population is increasing and many areas that should not be built on are being developed,” he said.
He noted that excessive paving of surfaces in Accra was reducing water infiltration into the soil and increasing runoff during heavy rains, thereby worsening flooding.
Mr Opoku further called for sustained public education on disaster risk reduction, saying flood disasters could wipe away years of investment and livelihoods within a short time.
“It can take people 10, 15 or 20 years to acquire property, but one flood event can destroy everything,” he cautioned.
He highlighted the need for collective responsibility among citizens, Assemblies and institutions to reduce the recurring impact of flooding in the country.
GNA
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