Source: The Conversation. By Yaw Agyeman Boafo, University of Ghana
Ghana’s cities are expanding at a breathtaking pace. From Madina to Cape Coast, from Sekondi-Takoradi to Tamale, concrete infrastructure are rising, wetlands are shrinking, and open lands are disappearing. But something else is rising quietly alongside this growth. Heat. And not just ordinary heat – dangerous urban heat.
Urban heat refers to the rise in temperatures in built-up areas compared to surrounding rural environments, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect. It is caused by dense construction materials such as concrete and asphalt that absorb and re-radiate heat, limited vegetation cover, reduced airflow between buildings, and heat generated from vehicles and air conditioning systems. It can be mitigated through urban greening, reflective building materials, improved urban design, and the protection of wetlands and open spaces.
In Accra, meteorological data show a steady increase in average annual temperatures over the past several decades, consistent with national trends. Ghana’s mean temperature has risen by approximately 1°C since the 1960s, according to the Ghana Meteorological Agency and climate analyses cited in the World Bank Climate Knowledge portal. Rapid urbanisation amplifies this warming locally, making parts of Accra significantly hotter than surrounding peri-urban areas.
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment report (2021-2022) warns that west Africa is one of the most climate-vulnerable regions globally.
As urban populations grow – Ghana’s urban population now exceeds 56% of the country’s total – the way cities expand will determine whether they become heat-resilient or heat traps. Tree planting must move beyond symbolic campaigns towards long-term urban forest strategies with maintenance budgets and enforceable protection laws.
But Ghana’s urban planning systems are acting as if trees are ornamental – not essential. They are essential.
In a recent study I led on extreme heat in Accra – covering communities such as Madina, Ashaley Botwe, Osu and Dansoman – residents repeatedly described afternoons as “unbearable” and nights as “no longer cool enough to recover”.
We found three troubling patterns:
- Dense built environments trap heat. Areas with fewer trees and more paved surfaces recorded higher thermal discomfort.
- Informal workers suffer disproportionately. Market traders, porters, transport operators and street vendors endure prolonged exposure with minimal shade.
- Heat is becoming a governance issue because communities directly associate rising thermal discomfort with poor urban planning, weak protection of green spaces and the lack of enforceable heat adaptation policies. Read More
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