The Greater Accra Region stands as Ghana’s economic engine, the most developed and urbanized in the country. Yet, this progress has also made the region one of the nation’s most polluted, with average particulate pollution more than double the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 5 µg/m³.
At the heart of this pollution crisis is Tema, a bustling port city and industrial hub. Here, the activities that drive national growth—from cement plants to smelters and refineries—have reshaped local air quality, leaving nearby communities to navigate between complex socioeconomic benefits and health trade-offs. For years, this pollution exposure was part of daily life in Tema but remained insufficiently captured by reliable air quality monitoring systems.
This data gap is now beginning to close. Supported by the EPIC Air Quality Fund, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in Ghana established a permanent air quality monitoring network in Tema. This hybrid network—which integrates a reference grade air quality monitor and seven low-cost air quality monitors—provides leaders and the public with real-time pollution data that shows the extent of the pollution challenge and provides evidence to support change.
A foundation for reform
The growing data on the pollution challenge comes as a new era of national policy action is underway in Ghana. In September, Ghana’s Parliament passed the Environmental Protection (Air Quality Management Regulations) 2025, LI 2507 a long-awaited landmark law aimed at improving air quality and strengthening enforcement of standards across the country. This includes requiring industry to install air pollution controls and monitor emissions to comply with standards. It also requires vehicles to pass emission tests and be issued with emissions certificates as a condition of their road worthiness. At the same time, the national air quality standards are being reviewed to assess whether it should be tightened.
“By supporting the extension of the monitoring network across key locations in Tema to generate reliable, real-time data where information was previously woefully inadequate, the Fund strengthened the evidence base required to support the revision of the National Air Quality Standards—which are currently being considered—and serves as a vital tool for tracking air quality improvements under the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Air Quality Management Plan,” says Selina Amoah, Ag. Director of the Environmental Quality Unit and Project Lead at the EPA.
Driving compliance through partnerships and public awareness
The EPA is also working to improve public understanding of the air pollution challenge to drive individuals to take action. This has included collaborating with multiple stakeholders, reaching from the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to schools and transport facilities.
For example, broader awareness campaigns reached Kpone Methodist Basic School, the indigenous community of Tema Manhean, and commercial drivers at Tema Station in Accra. These efforts focused on educating students, community members and drivers on the causes, impacts and prevention of air pollution, promoting actions people can take and improving understanding of real-time air quality data and the interpretation of the AQI colors via the EPA dashboard.
At the same time, prior experience had shown that individuals working at the local level to implement air quality actions often lacked the institutional backing needed to be successful. With new data in hand, the EPA liaised with top officials at key agencies—such as Kpone Katamanso Municipal Assembly and Tema East Municipal Assembly—to secure their full support in bringing pollution levels into compliance with national standards, thereby laying the groundwork for progress moving forward.
There are early signs of change. The rising use of EPA’s air quality dashboards reflect growing public interest. Communities are becoming more aware of the health risks, prompting more discussion around practices such as open burning. Furthermore, as researchers and institutions request monitoring data, stakeholders are increasingly relying on these results to inform local decision-making and drive advocacy.
“The EPIC Air Quality Fund has been an instrumental building block for policy and regulatory action, public awareness and capacity-building initiatives” Amoah says.
Moving towards change
Amoah believes that over the next few months, the EPA will work to operationalize a National Air Quality Management Framework and establish a National Air Quality Information System to support coordinated air quality management across the nation. This includes providing a common platform for data collection from all stakeholders and working to certify and standardize air quality monitoring equipment. The EPA is also continuing its work to revise national air quality standards, strengthen compliance monitoring and increase awareness.
“The combination of local data, progress on national legislation, and cross-sector collaboration is fundamentally shifting the narrative in Ghana,” says Amoah. “The EPA has achieved remarkable institutional progress in the short time since receiving the EPIC Air Quality Fund award. By leveraging this momentum to deepen public engagement and stakeholder collaboration, Ghana is creating a scalable model for translating real-time monitoring into sustained improvements in air quality and health outcomes for the most vulnerable communities.”
This story is the first in the EPIC Air Quality Fund Impact series that aims to showcase how the fund supports local governments and organizations in installing air quality monitors, providing open data to communities, and driving national-level impact in countries that could benefit the most. Does your country need a stronger air quality monitoring network? Apply by April 30 (11:59 PM CET) to become an EPIC Air Quality Fund Awardee.