The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) of Ghana is collaborating with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to set up a national air quality data hub. This initiative aims to merge existing air quality monitoring systems into a single platform, providing easy access to data on air pollution in monitored areas. The project is part of a broader effort to address the worsening air pollution problem across cities in Ghana.
The national air quality data hub is expected to address existing gaps in air quality monitoring and provide real-time data to inform policy and action. The hub will provide a centralised and collaborative infrastructure for hosting air quality data from different networks and sensors across the country. This will enable the EPA and other stakeholders to track ambient pollution levels, especially particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), more effectively.
The EPA Director of Sustainability and Circular Economy, Larry Kotoe, disclosed that the new hub will enhance access to air quality data. He noted that the EPA faces challenges with its own sensors, making it difficult to monitor all areas. The data hub is expected to support the EPA's efforts to stay within the standard and reduce sources contributing to exceeding the limits of the standards.
The Ghana Urban Air Quality Project was established in May 2019, anchoring the BREATHE ACCRA project implemented in November 2022. The project, funded by the Clean Air Fund, has deployed low-cost air quality monitoring sensors across 13 districts in Greater Accra. Agbogbloshie, one of the monitored areas, has been identified as a hotspot for air pollution, with high pollution levels persisting over the years.
According to Patrick Attey-Yeboah, Data Manager for the BREATHE ACCRA project, Agbogbloshie has consistently recorded high pollution levels, with almost every single day exceeding the WHO 15 micrograms per cubic metre. The situation has not changed in Agbogbloshie, highlighting the need for active policies to address the crisis.
Researchers from KNUST engaged officials of the EPA to test the data hub in September 2026, a step towards merging all fragmented air quality information onto a single platform. The proposed hub seeks to address challenges in Ghana's air quality monitoring, providing a centralised infrastructure for hosting air quality data from different networks and sensors.
The EPA will take ownership of the platform once an agreed sustainability plan is established, with KNUST serving as the backend and technical lead. The new air quality data hub is expected to be a game-changer in Ghana's efforts to monitor and address air pollution, providing a shared monitoring platform for stakeholders.
Key points
- The EPA and KNUST are collaborating to deploy a national air quality data hub to merge existing monitoring systems into one platform.
- The hub will provide real-time data to inform policy and action, addressing existing gaps in air quality monitoring.
- Agbogbloshie has been identified as a hotspot for air pollution, with high pollution levels persisting over the years.
