Els: MBN360 News
The government plans to upgrade the Ghana Meteorological Agency into an Authority as part of wider reforms to strengthen the country’s weather forecasting, climate monitoring and disaster preparedness systems, the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced.
Speaking in Accra at the launch of the 2026 Meteorological Awareness Month and the presentation of the 2026 Seasonal Forecast for Southern Ghana, the minister said the proposed reform would expand the institution’s legal mandate and operational scope to meet growing demands driven by climate change and extreme weather.
He said the review of the agency’s legal framework would grant it greater policy powers and improve its ability to deliver timely and accurate information to the public.
“Weather hazards cannot be prevented, but their impact can be significantly reduced through early information, preparedness and responsible action,” Sam George said. “One of the key things that we are doing in this legislative review is to actually upgrade the mandate of the Meteorological Agency from being an agency to an authority to give them more policy power.”
The minister noted that increasingly erratic rainfall patterns, recurrent flooding and other extreme weather events have heightened the need for dependable forecasts and early warnings to protect lives and property.
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The reform, he said, is intended to position the institution to respond more effectively to these risks while supporting national planning and emergency response.
The event brought together policymakers, climate experts, emergency response agencies, aviation stakeholders and representatives from the agriculture and maritime sectors, many of whom depend on weather intelligence for daily operations and safety decisions.
Seasonal forecasts, early warning bulletins and aviation weather services provided by the agency are widely used by farmers, airlines, shipping operators and urban planners to guide planting schedules, flight operations, maritime navigation and infrastructure planning.
Officials say upgrading the agency to an authority is expected to enhance coordination, strengthen regulation and improve service delivery as Ghana faces increasing climate-related challenges.
