Data Innovation for Disaster Risk Reduction in Ghana

How can we make good decisions in contexts of radical uncertainty? Over the last years, Ghana has been the scene of numerous disasters, both anthropogenic and naturally occurring. Recent incidences range from the Apeatse gas explosion in January 2022, to recurrent devastating flooding, and the outbreak of infectious diseases. Among its key priorities of action, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR, 2015-2030) proposes substantive investments in knowledge about disaster risks, resilience and disaster preparedness. With the mid-term review of the SFDRR in 2023, knowledge infrastructures, data capacities and collaboration with statistical communities for the anticipatory analysis of disaster risks have again received top-level attention. So far, however, African implementation of the SFDRR has remained focused on reactive rather than preventive action (Bang et al. 2019). The paper
illuminates Ghanaian DRR experts' creative data practices as vital elements in the country's ability to effectively respond to extreme vulnerability.