Deforestation and household pollution: JoyNews and German Embassy Climate Talks targets Ghana’s clean cooking future

Over 70% of households in Ghana's urban and suburban areas rely on charcoal and firewood. This highlights the urgent need for sustainable cooking alternatives.

JoyNews, with the German Embassy, hosted the first Climate Talks Dialogue in James Town. The goal was to promote clean cooking solutions across Ghana.

Household air pollution is a silent killer. It causes about 16,000 premature deaths annually in Ghana. Urban areas account for 8,500 of these deaths, while rural communities have 7,600. The main cause is toxic black carbon emissions from burning biomass fuels.

The environmental impact is severe as well. Over 90% of Ghana’s original forest cover has been lost due to deforestation. Daryl Bosu from A Rocha Ghana stated that charcoal production drives forest degradation significantly.

“An estimated 14.9 million tonnes of trees are cut down each year for charcoal and firewood,” Bosu warned. “At this rate, we could lose forests in key regions within two decades.”

The health effects are especially harmful to women and children. Dr. Richard Bright Danyoh from the Ghana Paediatric Association noted that smoke exposure equals smoking two packs of cigarettes daily.

“The impacts are severe for pregnant women and young children,” he said. “We see increased asthma rates, allergies, pneumonia, and birth defects linked to household air pollution.”

Despite these challenges, progress is being made. Sarah Naa Dedei Agbey from the Ghana Alliance for Clean Cooking reported a decline in biomass usage since 2012.

“Ghana now has a clean cooking policy supported by an investment prospectus,” she said. “This shows we’re moving towards cleaner homes but must keep pushing forward.”

Lovans Owusu-Takyi from ISEES urged wider adoption of clean cooking technologies in urban areas.

“Switching to improved cookstoves and clean fuels protects health,” he explained. “It’s also cost-effective and convenient.”

The Climate Talks Dialogue emphasized that cooking in Ghana must become cleaner and more sustainable. The future starts with our choices today.