Ghana’s capital city faces 'urgent' air quality crisis

Accra's Air Quality Index (AQI) has reached an alarming level of 371, categorising it as "hazardous," implying, amongst others, that residents in the capital city are breathing air that is considerably more polluted than in other major cities across the world.

The IQAir ranking indicates that Accra's air quality is almost twice as polluted as cities like Delhi, India; Shenyang; and Hotan, China, which in previous rankings occupied the top positions. With an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 196, the primary culprit identified in Accra's air is PM2.5, with a concentration currently at a staggering 63.1 times the annual air quality guideline set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

There has been some global improvement in air quality compared to previous years, but a staggering 92% of the world's population continues to inhale unhealthy air.

Despite the grim scenario, the findings further forecast a slight improvement over the next few days, bringing the AQI down to 73 and returning the city to the "moderate" category by Saturday, February 10, 2024. 

A significant contributor to Accra's air pollution crisis is road transport, which accounts for an estimated 39% of PM2.5 concentrations. The inadequate public transport infrastructure has led to approximately 70% of daily commuters in Ghana relying on privately owned minibuses known as ‘trotros’, often older and emitting higher levels of pollutants. The remaining traffic congestion in Accra is attributed to private vehicles, while resuspended dust from unpaved and dusty roads contributes to higher PM2.5 concentrations.

The top four cities ranked as most polluted after Ghana in the findings are India’s Mumbai, Dhaka in Bangladesh, China’s Shenyeng, and Lahore in Pakistan.