The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has revealed that preliminary findings from an ongoing Urban Heat Vulnerability Assessment show a sharp rise in land surface temperatures across the city over the past three decades, leaving several communities at significantly heightened risk.
The study, led by Prof. Richard Amfo-Otu of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development under the Partnership for Healthy Cities Urban Heat Project, funded by Vital Strategies, indicated that extreme heat concentrations were intensifying in communities such as James Town, Chorkor, Agbogbloshie, Old Fadama, Kaneshie, Mamprobi and sections of the Industrial Area, with vulnerable groups, including older adults, children, informal workers, vendors, transport operators and low-income households, disproportionately affected by the rising temperatures.
Speaking on the findings, the Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, said the Assembly was committed to using the evidence to strengthen preparedness and safeguard residents, adding that the research aligned with the city’s broader vision of developing a healthier and more climate-resilient Accra.
The findings, he said, would guide major reforms, including updates to the building code, expanded urban greening, improved infrastructure in markets and lorry stations, enhanced early heat warning systems and intensified community awareness on heat-related risks.
Although the vulnerability assessment is yet to be officially published, the mayor noted that it constitutes one of the most detailed examinations of heat exposure in the city and will form the foundation for the next phase of climate and public health planning.
Prof. Amfo-Otu said the data demonstrated that Accra is “heating faster than many imagine,” noting that temperature increases vary significantly across the metropolis.
He explained that some communities were now experiencing conditions severe enough to threaten health, livelihoods and urban infrastructure, adding that the findings give AMA clear scientific guidance for designing targeted and cost-effective heat-resilience measures.
Head of Public Health at the AMA, Florence Kuukyi, said the study provided “a level of detail we have not had before,” stressing that the information would reshape heat-health messaging, improve surveillance systems and help protect vulnerable communities.
She also stated that the findings justified reforms to Accra’s building bye-laws, especially ventilation standards, roofing requirements, shade provision and green infrastructure for markets and transport hubs, adding that “cooling must become a core part of Accra’s urban planning.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
