Tema: The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has launched a permanent air quality monitoring network in Tema, Ghana’s primary port and industrial city. This initiative aims to provide real-time data essential for decision-making and improving air pollution management in the region.
According to Ghana News Agency, the network comprises seven low-cost sensors strategically installed across key locations in Tema, including Kpone, Bethlehem (Tulaku), and various communities such as Three, Seven, and 25, as well as Tema Manhean and the Tema Port. These sites were chosen due to their exposure to multiple pollution sources, such as industrial activities, vehicular emissions, open burning, and untarred roads. The network is part of the ‘Tema Air Quality Monitoring for Public Information and Decision-Making’ project, funded by the Energy Policy Institute of Chicago and the Air Quality Fund.
Madam Selina Okaebea Amoah, Head of Environmental Quality Unit at EPA, highlighted that the project addresses gaps in air quality data in Tema and strengthens the Authority’s national monitoring network. She emphasized the public health implications of air pollution, which contributes to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and stressed the importance of monitoring to establish pollution levels in Tema.
The monitoring equipment will enable a comprehensive understanding of air quality in the Tema Metropolis and surrounding municipalities. The data collected will assess the effectiveness of interventions, including the Greater Accra Region Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP), which targets pollution sources like industrial and vehicular emissions, open burning, and household air pollution.
The initiative is a response to the high pollution levels exceeding the Ghana Standard for Environment and Health Protection-Requirements for Ambient Air Quality and Point Source/Stack Emissions. It aligns with the EPA’s goal to extend the air quality network to other urban centers beyond Accra. Madam Amoah noted the current number of sensors is insufficient, suggesting that more are needed given the size of the industrial hub and neighboring communities.
Air quality data will be accessible to the public via OpenAQ.org. The EPA plans to engage local assemblies and community members to raise awareness about air pollution and the importance of clean air. This effort is part of a broader strategy to promote environmental accountability, safeguard public health, and create cleaner, safer cities.
The World Health Organisation reports that air pollution results in approximately 28,000 premature deaths annually in Ghana. It is the second highest health risk factor for death and disability, following malnutrition, with young children and adults over 50 being most at risk. Major contributors to poor air quality in Ghana include open waste burning, cooking with wood and charcoal, road transport, slash-and-burn farming, energy generation, accidental fires, and industry emissions.