Background
Air pollution is a global health and an economic burden. It has been reported that 99% of the global population breathes dirty air (WHO) but no one knows which of the world’s cities is the most polluted (Martin et al, 2019). In Africa, air pollution is responsible for 1 million premature deaths per annum (Fisher et al, 2021). The situation in Ghana similar to other emerging economies in Africa is devastating. For example, in 2019, Ghana lost $1.6 billion (Fisher et al, 2021) and 3,300 newborn deaths (State of Global Air) due to the country’s inability to manage and control air pollution. Every year, 16,000 premature deaths in Ghana are linked to exposure to air pollution (CEA — World Bank Group). This notwithstanding, robust air quality data needed for air pollution management and control (APMC) is very limited in Ghana. Without reliable, open-source, meaningful and scientific air quality data, addressing air pollution in Ghana similar to wider parts of Africa typical of Ghana is very challenging.
The lack of political will and the need for addressing synchronising challenges such as poor access to potable drinking water, electricity and other social issues weakens Ghana’s ability to holistically tackle air pollution due to the financial requirements for procuring and operating regulatory air quality monitors, a prerequisite for generating robust evidence of air pollution. Subsequently, regulatory air quality monitoring in Ghana by the Ghana EPA is centred at Accra with a handful of manually operated monitoring stations consisting of minivol and high volume samplers for PM2.5 and PM10 respectively. Aside from this, the US Embassy operates a BAM — Beta Attenuation Mass Monitor at Cantonments (the only open-source regulatory monitoring station in Ghana for PM2.5). The EPA with support from international agencies has established a background station at the University of Ghana with Teledyne API T640 PM Mass Monitor for PM2.5 and PM10. Also, in the past few years, the EPA has scaled up air quality monitoring efforts in Ghana by complementing the patchy regulatory monitoring stations with low-capital cost (LCC) air quality monitoring networks within and outside Accra. Six of these deployments are in the Volta Region (Volta). Besides this, independent research groups in Ghana have embarked on air pollution research projects with LCC air quality sensors in addition to a few reference grade monitoring stations outside Accra e.g., the BAM — Beta Attenuation Mass Monitor at Techiman (Brong Ahafo Region Kintampo Health Research Centre with support from Profs. Darby Jack and Dan Westervelt) and Cape Coast (Central Region by AfriqAir)…[if we miss any, flag it so we can add]
However, the lack of capabilities in the majority of the regions in Ghana makes APMC in such regions extremely difficult. In the Volta for example, there’s no regulatory air quality monitoring stations but 6 LCC air quality monitoring stations against a population of 1,659,040 people. This makes it difficult to understand site-specific air pollution levels and meaningfully propose evidence-based mitigation measures.
The utility of LCC air quality monitoring approaches have proven to provide robust evidence for APMC in regions previously not monitored due to logistical demands including funding for procurement and operationalization of regulatory air quality monitors. In Togo for example Purple Air PA-II PM2.5 monitors were used to establish robust evidence for the first ever ground-based PM2.5 pollution. Similar projects have been established in the Republic of Benin and The Gambia. We are proposing this approach to revolutionize air quality monitoring in the Volta for an improved health and environmental sustainability dubbed “Oxygen (Breathable) City AQ Project.
Scope
Establishment of a hyperlocal network of LCC air quality monitoring stations in the Volta using best practices integrated with capacity building for air pollution data management, visualization, analysis and interpretation to support APMC. The goal is to make Volta a breathable city.
The Volta is located in the South-Eastern part of Ghana (Ghana Tourism Authority) covering a total land area of 20,572 km2 (Ministry of Agriculture) with a population of 1,659,040 people (Ghana Statistical Service). The vegetation in Volta is categorized as coastal strand mangrove swamps, woodland savannah, savannah grassland, mangrove swamps, and deciduous forests. Volta is a tropical climate region characterized by moderate temperatures between 12–32 °C with two main rainfall regimes (i.e., March to July and Mid August to October) with an annual range between 513.9 to 1099.88 mm (Ministry of Agriculture) and an average humidity of 80% (World Data Info).
Partners
We have kicked off this project on August 15, 2023 with an initial deployment of two Purple Air PA-II PM monitors in the Volta in collaboration with Columbia University in the city of New York (Prof Daniel M Westervelt), Volta EPA, Ho (Hope Smith Lomotey), University of Health and Allied Sciences (Dr David Adade), Eclectic Love GH (Patrice Robertson), University of Environment and Sustainable Development and Clean Air One Atmosphere (Hodoli et al).
Direct Benefits
An integral part of this project is to support knowledge transfer and to build local capacity for APMC. Representatives from the EPA Volta, Eclectic Love GH and interested stakeholders will gain insights from Global North and South experts on how to effectively use low capital cost air sensors. This training will focus on generating robust evidence using low capital cost air sensor data following established best practices and applications such as the usefulness of the data for extracting source features of pollutants. There will also be opportunities for exchange programs depending on availability of funds.
Broader Benefits
This project if properly implemented will promote clean air for residents in the Volta. This includes incorporating green spaces and parks, reducing pollution from vehicles and industries, and implementing sustainable transportation options. A breathable city focuses on creating a livable environment with good air quality, which has numerous benefits for the well-being of its residents which will potentially boost tourism in the Volta.
Source:NewsGhana
