Geological disasters affect national growth --Dr Tzidzi

Offinso (Ashanti Region), 1 March, '99 --

A geologist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has said that geological disasters have significant negative impact on national growth and called for effective planning measures to avoid severe economic and social dislocation. Dr K. E. N. Tzidzi, a senior lecturer in engineering and environmental geology, said though geological disasters such as soil erosion, coastal erosion and floods are prominent in the country, not much is being done to mitigate their effects. "The best options for reducing the risks should include proper risk assessment and zoning, monitoring of hazards and education on the potential danger of these disasters", he said. Dr Tzidzi was presenting a paper on "Managing geological disasters in Ghana", at a day's workshop for District Co-ordinators of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in Ashanti Region at Offinso. He, however, said with the establishment of NADMO and adequate financial empowerment, geological disasters that affect the country could effectively be managed. The geological hazard situation in Ghana, he said, is quite serious, considering the fact that these hazards have not been accorded the necessary attention they deserve. The lecturer said, "environmental problems can be exacerbated when policies do not account for pertinent environmental factors as the case of land use policies failing to prevent housing development in the flood- prone or high earthquake risk areas".