Parliament passes law to regulate, improve air quality
Prof. Klutse, in a speech delivered on her behalf, described the new law as a turning point in efforts to protect public health and the environment.
Ghana has taken a major step in the fight against air pollution with the passing of the long-awaited Air Quality Management Regulation. The announcement was made by the Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Professor Nana Ama Brown Klutse, during this year’s International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies event in Tema.
Prof. Klutse, in a speech delivered on her behalf, described the new law as a turning point in efforts to protect public health and the environment. She explained that the regulation will not only help improve the country’s air quality but also give authorities stronger powers to enforce environmental standards across Ghana.
She stressed that the success of the law depends on good data. To this end, the EPA plans to build an Air Quality Information Management System and is calling on government agencies, industries, and community groups to share information and resources to make it work.
“Clean air is a basic right,” Prof. Klutse said, adding that the fight against climate change cannot be won without tackling air pollution. She also thanked individuals and organizations already monitoring air quality in their communities, noting that their efforts are part of a larger national push.
The EPA has already introduced a number of measures to strengthen its work. These include requiring industries to install pollution-control systems, enforcing environmental assessments, and rolling out the Ghana Online Continuous Emission Monitoring System (GOCEMS), which makes it possible to track emissions in real time. The Authority has also teamed up with the Ghana Standards Authority to set clear benchmarks for emissions from factories, vehicles, and other sources.
Public education campaigns and the Air Quality Management Plan for Greater Accra have also been launched to tackle pollution from transport, waste, and industry. To support this, air monitoring stations have been installed in major cities such as Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Tema, and Tamale.
In Tema, with funding support from the Energy Institute of Chicago’s Air Quality Fund, the EPA has set up a network of seven low-cost sensors to measure pollution levels, with a high-grade reference monitor expected later this year. Prof. Klutse said the data collected will be vital for decision-making in Tema, especially given the area’s busy harbour and industrial activity.
She appealed to stakeholders to help expand the network, saying that the fight for cleaner air can only be won if everyone plays a part.
Through these actions, she concluded, Ghana is showing its determination to secure healthier communities and a safer environment for future generations.
