Disaster risk profile: Volta River Basin

The Volta disaster risk profile relates information on natural hazards, specifically floods and droughts, to the basin population and economic exposures and vulnerabilities. These exposures and vulnerabilities are exacerbated by riparian countries’ limited coping capacities and resources for investing in disaster risk reduction and recovery measures. In this context, post-disaster rehabilitation often implies the intervention of international aid, or the diversion of national funds originally planned for development interventions, resulting in a tremendous setback for societal development as a whole.

The recommendations are specific for the basin and addressed to national actors, the Volta Basin Authority and international partners. Each recommendation requires the involvement of several national authorities, institutions and stakeholders that are different in the riparian countries, considering their institutional and legal framework. The Volta Basin Authority could provide a common reference framework, promoting coordination among policies and interventions in the riparian countries, and, together with international partners, will have a key role in facilitating and advocating for the implementation of the recommendations.