Does governance matter when disaster looms? Zooming into proactive institutional measures for flood risk management

The United Nations Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) highlights the importance of local governance and proactive response in disaster risk reduction. Eight years into the SFDRR's adoption, there is a limited assessment of governance principles shaping disaster management by local institutions. This study examines the governance principles influencing flood disaster prevention and preparedness in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. Using qualitative data, we first framed prevention and preparedness as proactive institutional measures (PIMs) and analysed six key indicators. Secondly, we assessed eight governance principles shaping the PIMs. The results show that PIMs, such as training, awareness creation, spatial planning, and application of early warning systems, have been introduced. Yet, notable weaknesses include the lack of enforcement, ineffective plan implementation and inadequate resources. We further illustrate that these weaknesses result from the poor application of governance principles. For instance, community participation and equity occur through informal processes, while the lack of accountability and transparency results in financial misappropriation and institutions neglecting their responsibilities. Also, given the inadequate adaptability, green stormwater infrastructure is not integrated into the infrastructural measures. We recommend strengthening local governments to enable adequate application of governance principles for flood risk management. Good governance requires shifting from reactive measures to embedding PIMs into local governance structures, which can be assessed using governance principles.