By Florence Afriyie Mensah
Kumasi, Feb.19, GNA – Preserving urban green spaces and adopting sustainable housing systems and practices, are crucial in addressing the current warming trends, especially in the cities and urban communities in the country.
Mr Sulemana Issifu, Director of Research at the Center for Climate Change and Food Security (CCCFS), who stated this, indicated that, recent increases in temperatures, particularly, the discomfort during nighttime, highlighted the pressing need to address climate-related challenges.
Sharing a policy brief with the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi, he advocated for the implementation of sustainable housing systems that incorporated climate-responsive designs.
This includes improved insulation, natural ventilation, and materials that regulated indoor temperatures.
Again, afforestation measures that mandated every new house construction to include the planting of shade trees.
He explained that this did not only contribute to carbon sequestration but also provides natural shading, reducing indoor, and outdoor temperatures.
Mr Issifu said the government must take stringent measures to halt the menace of illegal mining (galamsey), which threatened the existing forests.
The CCCFS also encourages architects and builders to avoid excessive glazing in building structures, explaining that, while natural light was important, excessive glazing contributed to heat gain, and alternative design strategies should be explored.
According to him, the CCCFS recent study highlighted the discriminative felling of the few remaining trees in urban areas, particularly in Greater Kumasi.
The study underscored the importance of preserving existing green spaces for their cooling effects and overall environmental benefits.
Some key findings identified were that a concerning trend of indiscriminate tree felling in urban areas, especially in Greater Kumasi, leading to a loss of crucial green cover.
Also, the removal of trees contributes to the urban heat island effect, exacerbating rising temperatures in affected areas and this posed a direct threat to the well-being of residents.
On the policy side, Mr Issifu, stressed the need for strict enforcement of tree preservation laws, promotion of green spaces as well as educating citizens on the importance of tree preservation, and sustainable practices.
GNA