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Mr. Godwin Agudey, Presiding Member of Ada East District, has called for the introduction of swimming courses to residents, especially children, in the coastal areas of the country.
He said this would help reduce the loss of lives in disasters, secure the economic stability of these communities, and support the health of the coastal ecosystems, which is essential for reducing storm impacts on the coastal communities.
He mentioned that there were several records of extreme natural events such as hurricanes, coastal storms, tsunamis, and landslides, as well as longer-term risks of coastal erosion and sea level rise, saying that although these things could not be totally prevented, appropriate measures must be taken to reduce their impact.
Mr. Agudey was speaking with the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Ada and admonished that it was critical to develop hazard-resilient communities to prepare for these threats and enhance the ability of these communities to absorb impacts and bounce back.
He expressed worry about the behaviour of most of the local people who had lived their lives close to the sea and assumed that they were familiar with the water and did not abide by the precautions laid down when boarding boats.
He added that swimming was compulsory at school-going age for children in countries like Sweden, Denmark, and other countries that were surrounded by water: “At the age of two, you start taking swimming lessons; it’s compulsory.”
He mentioned that there were people living around the coastal areas who could not swim, stressing that swimming lessons must not be taken for granted just because the people live on the island.
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