A significant portion of Ghana's population remains uninsured, leaving them vulnerable to various risks and hardships. Without insurance, individuals and families, especially those in middle and low-income brackets, often bear the full financial burden of economic shocks, healthcare costs, property damage, and unforeseen expenses during disasters and emergencies.

The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war have further exacerbated the situation, while climate change has heightened vulnerability to unpredictable weather patterns.

To address this, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under its Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF), in partnership with the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Ministry of Finance, and industry partner Insurance Development Forum (IDF), held a workshop to validate a contingency plan document aimed at improving Ghana's disaster response preparedness and capabilities.

The contingency plan, initiated in 2022, represents a critical step in assessing, refining, and enhancing government preparedness and capabilities for emergencies. The validation workshop enabled project consultants to present their findings to stakeholders for validation and confirmation of essential data for finalization of the contingency plan document.

Abdul-Razak Saeed, Head of the Environment and Climate Cluster at UNDP in Ghana, emphasized the importance of a contingency plan in outlining stakeholder roles and responding to disasters efficiently. "UNDP is committed to collaborating with partners to strengthen Ghana's disaster response efforts, build resilient communities, mitigate disaster impacts, and foster sustainable development pathways for all," he noted.

The contingency plan went through various stages, including in-person and online engagements, to accommodate diverse stakeholders and encourage broad participation. Facilitators led scenario-based exercises to aid participants in anticipating risks, devising mitigation strategies, assigning responsibilities among agencies, and improving coordination mechanisms.

Frank Aggrey, representative of NADMO, noted, "This plan is designed to safeguard the vulnerable in society, provide assistance to the Government of Ghana during challenging times, and serve as a comprehensive strategy to identify and effectively mitigate the root causes of disasters."

The contingency plan is an integral component of UNDP's IRFF, a flagship initiative of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Finance Sector Hub, and a testament to the collaborative efforts under a Tripartite agreement between UNDP, the German Government, and IDF to ensure that Ghana builds resilient communities for all.