The Global Shapers Accra Hub of the World Economic Forum has urged Greater Accra’s Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to take urgent action against open burning, following air‑quality monitoring that identified pollution hotspots in parts of Accra.
Godwin Doe, the Hub’s Curator, said local authorities must use the findings to strengthen efforts to reduce activities contributing to poor air quality, particularly in communities recording high pollution levels. Speaking at the 3rd Roots and Routes Clean Air Health Walk on Saturday, September 26, he highlighted comparative data from Accra Central, Kawukudi in Nima and Legon, noting that “pollution levels are really high” in Nima.
Doe said the Hub is developing a policy brief to guide municipal assemblies in tackling the problem. “With our findings, we are looking at developing a policy brief to advise the municipal assemblies on how we can then put efforts together to avoid open burning across certain areas in Accra,” he said.
Project Coordinator for the Roots and Routes Clean Air Health Walk, Dr Jonathan C. Akuako, called for trees and green spaces to be deliberately incorporated into urban planning. He noted that monitoring showed that areas with greater tree cover had better air quality, and urged planners to “intentionally incorporate planting trees or creating such environments where people can go to relax from all the commercial toxins that come from burning bushes, open refuse and vehicles.”
A key element of the initiative is public education. Akuako stressed that “all our activities will become a failure… if what we are advocating for in terms of creating spaces for these urban covers is not taken into action and when we go back, the people we are educating to not leave open refuse still go back to such things.”
Beyond the health walk, Roots and Routes is taking its clean‑air message into schools, engaging five schools in discussions about air pollution and tree‑planting activities to help young people become advocates for cleaner communities.
The 3rd Roots and Routes Clean Air Health Walk was organised by the Global Shapers Accra Hub in collaboration with UrbanBetter Accra Cityzens Hub and the Green Africa Youth Organisation, combining community engagement, air‑quality monitoring, environmental education and advocacy to promote practical action on air pollution across Accra.
What follows is a call for MMDCEs to adopt the forthcoming policy brief and implement green‑space initiatives to curb open burning and improve air quality in the region.
