Airwaves of Preparedness: Community Radio as a Lifeline for Disaster Risk Reduction in Ghana’s Drought-Prone Communities

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction | 13 October 2025

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) has become increasingly urgent in sub-Saharan Africa, where climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of droughts, floods, and erratic rainfall. In Ghana’s drought-prone districts, smallholder farmers face particular vulnerability, as agriculture is their main livelihood. Each season, unpredictable weather patterns, pest outbreaks, and land degradation threaten their crops and incomes.

While disaster management has often focused on infrastructure and emergency relief, the importance of information as a tool for preparedness is sometimes overlooked. Community radio offers a powerful solution. By combining local relevance, accessibility, and participation, community radio has become a trusted medium for disseminating disaster preparedness knowledge, building resilience, and reducing vulnerability. On this International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, it is essential to emphasise how community radio can empower local voices to become active agents of resilience.

Community Radio and Early Warning Systems

A central pillar of DRR is the availability of reliable early warning systems. Unfortunately, smallholder farmers often lack access to real-time forecasts. Community radio bridges this gap by working with meteorological services, disaster management organisations, and extension officers to translate complex forecasts into simple, actionable information. For instance, when meteorologists predict a delayed rainy season or an outbreak of fall armyworm, community radio can broadcast these warnings in local languages, enabling farmers to adjust planting times, diversify crops, or take preventive measures. Such timely access to information reduces uncertainty and allows farmers to make decisions that minimise risks to their harvests and household welfare.

Strengthening Community Preparedness

Preparedness is not just about information; it is about community action. Community radio stations play a crucial role in mobilising collective preparedness. By airing discussions on soil conservation, fire management, and other relevant topics, they encourage communities to adopt proactive practices. Radio discussions are particularly effective, presenting disaster risk in relatable terms while offering practical solutions that are easily understood.

A participatory approach transforms listeners from passive recipients into active participants. Call-in programmes enable farmers to share their experiences of past droughts or bushfires, allowing others to learn from these valuable insights. Over time, this fosters a culture of preparedness, where risk reduction becomes an integral part of daily community practice rather than an abstract concept.

Bridging Indigenous Knowledge and Scientific Insights

Resilience is strengthened when scientific insights are blended with local wisdom. Farmers in Ghana’s drought-prone areas often rely on indigenous indicators such as the appearance and intensity of the Harmattan winds (dusty, dry winds from the Sahara), the croaking of frogs or the sudden increase in insect activity (e.g., termites emerging from the soil), the blooming of certain trees, particularly the sheanut tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) or the baobab, and the movement of ants (carrying food to higher ground) are considered warnings for seasonal changes. While such indicators are valuable, they are increasingly unreliable under shifting climatic conditions.

Community radio provides a platform where the two knowledge systems intersect. Farmers can share indigenous signals, while scientists and extension officers explain modern forecasts. This synthesis improves the accuracy of risk assessments and strengthens trust, as farmers see their experiences validated alongside scientific explanations. The result is an informed community that can prepare using both traditional and modern tools.

Challenges in Using Community Radio for DRR

Despite its promise, several challenges hinder the effectiveness of community radio in DRR. Funding constraints often limit the reach and consistency of agricultural and disaster-related broadcasts. Weak institutional linkages between the national disaster management organisation (NADMO), meteorological agencies and local radio stations mean that important information may not flow quickly to rural communities.

Gender disparities also remain a barrier. Women, who form the backbone of agricultural production, are often underrepresented in radio discussions. Similarly, young people, who could serve as innovation drivers, are rarely targeted in programming. Without deliberate efforts to make community radio inclusive, significant segments of the population risk being excluded from vital disaster information.

Policy Recommendations

Several steps are essential to unlock the full potential of community radio in DRR. Community radio should be embedded within national disaster preparedness and climate adaptation frameworks. Broadcasters must be trained in disaster and climate communication to deliver accurate and accessible messages. Governments, NGOs, and donors should develop funding models to ensure agricultural and DRR programming continuity. Radio should provide information and collect community reports, creating feedback loops with disaster agencies.

Conclusion

On this International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, it is essential to recognise that reducing disaster risks requires more than physical infrastructure or emergency aid; it requires informed, empowered, and resilient communities. In Ghana’s drought-prone farming regions, community radio has emerged as a lifeline, delivering early warnings, promoting preparedness, and strengthening social learning.

Community radio transforms vulnerability into collective strength by amplifying local voices and integrating them into national resilience strategies. If supported and scaled, it can serve as a cornerstone of disaster risk reduction in Ghana and beyond, ensuring that farmers are not passive victims of climate shocks but active agents of resilience and adaptation.

Dr Enoch Kwame Tham-Agyekum