Ghana’s 2025 Budget & the Sendai Framework – Aligning Disaster Recovery with Global Resilience Goals

The Sendai Framework & Ghana’s 2025 Budget

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030) is a United Nations -led global blueprint for reducing disaster risks, enhancing resilience, and ensuring sustainable recovery. Its four priorities are:

1. Understanding disaster risk (assessing hazards/vulnerabilities).
2. Strengthening disaster risk governance (laws, policies, institutions).
3. Investing in disaster risk reduction (resilient infrastructure, ecosystems).
4. Enhancing preparedness for effective response and to “Build Back Better” in recovery.

Ghana's 2025 Budget Speech, delivered by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, was presented in accordance with Articles 179 and 180 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, as well as sections 21 and 23 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921). The budget addresses pressing economic challenges, including fiscal consolidation and debt management. Notably, it allocates resources to recent disasters—the Akosombo Dam spillage (2023) and tidal waves in Ketu South (2024)—demonstrating alignment with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030). Below, we analyze how paragraphs 198, 199, and 222 of the budget advance Sendai’s goals.

Paragraphs 198 & 199: Direct Support for Disaster-Affected Communities

Budget Allocation

• GH￠242.5 million to support victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage (para. 198).
• GH￠200 million for communities displaced by tidal waves in Agavedzi, Ketu South (para. 199).

Disaster Context

• Akosombo Dam Spillage (2023): In September 2023, the Volta River Authority (VRA) initiated a controlled spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong dams due to rising water levels from heavy rainfall. This action led to significant flooding in communities along the lower Volta Basin, displacing approximately 31,000 people and causing extensive damage to homes, farmlands, and infrastructure.
• Tidal Waves in Ketu South (2025): Coastal communities in the Ketu South District have faced severe tidal waves, leading to displacement and destruction. In March 2025, over 300 people were affected, with 51 households destroyed and an 800-meter stretch of coastline damaged.

Sendai Framework Alignment

• Priority 4 (Enhancing Preparedness & Recovery): These allocations fund immediate relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction—core tenets of “Build Back Better.” Sendai emphasizes that post-disaster recovery should reduce future risks (e.g., relocating communities from floodplains, improving early warning systems).
• Target D (Critical Infrastructure Resilience): By addressing displacement and rebuilding homes, Ghana mitigates long-term vulnerabilities. Sendai stresses that protecting livelihoods and housing is key to reducing disaster-induced poverty.
• Inclusivity: The focus on marginalized coastal and riverside communities reflects Sendai’s call to prioritize “persons in vulnerable situations.”

Paragraph 222: Institutionalizing Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure

Budget Allocation

• Resources to the Ministry of Works and Housing to address tidal wave impacts in Ketu South, including resilient infrastructure (para. 222).

Sendai Framework Alignment

• Priority 2 (Governance): Strengthening institutional capacity for disaster response aligns with Sendai’s call for “clear roles and tasks to community representatives within disaster risk management institutions.”
• Priority 3 (Investing in DRR): Funding infrastructure like seawalls or elevated housing mirrors Sendai’s push for “disaster-resistant structures” and “ecosystem-based approaches.”
• Target E (National DRR Strategies): Ghana’s budget operationalizes Sendai’s mandate for “national and local disaster risk reduction strategies.”

Why This Matters

1. From Relief to Resilience: Ghana’s budget shifts from ad-hoc disaster response to systemic risk reduction—a Sendai cornerstone.
2. SDG Synergy: These measures support SDG 11 (sustainable cities) and SDG 13 (climate action), reinforcing Ghana’s commitment to global frameworks.
3. Local-Global Accountability: By channeling funds to grassroots recovery, Ghana honors Sendai’s principle of “all-of-society engagement.”

A Model for Proactive Governance

In summary, Ghana’s 2025 budget exemplifies how fiscal policy can align with global resilience agendas. By addressing immediate disasters while investing in long-term safeguards, Ghana not only “resets” its economy but also advances the Sendai Framework’s vision of a world where communities “live in harmony with nature.”        

“Disasters are not natural—they are the result of risks we fail to manage.” – Sendai Framework, 2015.

Further Reading:

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