INFINITY 970, BREATHE CITIES TAKE AIR POLLUTION CAMPAIGN TO AYAWASO NORTH

Environmental advocacy organization Infinity 970, with support from global initiative Breathe Cities, has extended its clean air awareness campaign to the Ayawaso North Municipality in Accra. Held at the premises of the Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly, the community forum convened local residents, civic leaders, media practitioners, and environmental officers to address rising urban air pollution and press for actionable monitoring solutions.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ayawaso North, Haruna Mohammed Awal, detailed ongoing measures by the Assembly to curb atmospheric pollution, reduce informal waste burning, and enforce municipal sanitation bye-laws across dense residential areas.

Outlining the advocacy roadmap, the Executive Director of Infinity 970, Barbara Davies, emphasized the importance of sustained grassroots engagement, stating that community-level data sharing is essential for driving policy changes and public health awareness.

During the session, the Municipal Environmental Health Analyst for Ayawaso North, Richard Donkor, disclosed that four real-time air quality sensors have been deployed across key zones within the municipality to track particulate matter levels and emissions.

Highlighting the need for localized action, Issaka Ahmed, Public Relations Officer for the Ayawaso North Unit Committee Members, called on the Municipal Assembly to share sensor data directly with unit committees, noting that grassroot representatives are best positioned to educate households and monitor localized pollution sources.

The initiative is part of a broader urban clean air movement led by Infinity 970 and Breathe Cities across Accra, following similar sensitization exercises in Osu Ako Adjei and the Okaikwei North Anunmle Cluster.

Ayawaso North is one of the most densely populated municipalities in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, featuring high commercial activity, vehicular traffic congestion, and localized industrial operations that contribute to elevated levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) Breathe Cities—a global initiative backed by C40 Cities and Clean Air Fund—works with municipal authorities across major international cities to expand air quality monitoring networks, provide technical resources, and support community-led advocacy.

The deployment of low-cost air quality monitoring sensors across Accra's municipal assemblies aims to provide real-time data to help local governments identify pollution hotspots, enforce environmental regulations, and safeguard public respiratory health.