By Florence Afriyie Mensah
Kumasi, Sept 11, GNA – Dr. Kwaku Onwona-Hwesofour, Project Lead of the Agroecology and Circular Economy Services (ACE4ES) project at the Crops Research Institute, says there is an urgent need for investment in clean air solutions.
He said prioritising investment in clean air solutions was a pathway to improving public health and mitigating climate change.
“Air pollution not only affects our health but also fuels climate change,” he said. adding, “the young generation has a key role to play in driving the change needed, but governments, businesses, and international bodies must lead by investing in clean air technologies and stronger policies, he explained.”
Dr. Onwona-Hwesofour was speaking at a community outreach on the occasion of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies at the Adventist Girls’ School in Kumasi.
More than 2000 students participated in the event and activities including peer-sensitisation sessions, brainstorming discussions on the causes of air pollution, and a strong call for action to address air quality issues in Ghana.
Air pollution is a leading cause of early death, with over eight million people, including 700,000 children under five, dying annually from exposure to dirty air.
Dr. Onwona-Hwesofour said, investments in clean energy, sustainable transportation, waste management, and emissions reduction technologies could not only improve public health, but also drive economic prosperity and contribute to climate resilience.
He pledged that the ACE4ES project, which is being implemented by CRI of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), with the support of partners and students, would continue to advocate stronger investment in clean air measures to foster a healthier, more sustainable future.
“Air pollution is preventable, and we have a responsibility to invest in solutions that protect both human health and the planet,” he indicated.
The students voiced their concerns about air pollution in Ghanaian communities, identifying key issues such as black carbon emissions from inefficient biomass cook stoves, the harmful practice of burning household waste rather than adopting recycling measures and inefficient combustion engines in vehicles and other machinery.
Again, the students identified weak enforcement of local pollution bylaws as a factor fueling air pollution in Ghana.
After the event, over 500 students signed up to become Clean Air Ambassadors, pledging to advocate and promote cleaner air practices in their homes and communities.
The ACE4ES is a two-year project being financed by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The project currently premised in Ghana, Nigeria, Benin and Tanzania has the aim of assessing the effectiveness of agroecology and circular economy technologies in reducing short-lived climate pollutants emission from agricultural activities.
GNA