Ghana’s cooling challenges and opportunities

Ghana faces significant cooling deficits across agriculture, healthcare, and urban environments. In the food sector, 3.2 million tons of food are lost annually, while the healthcare cold chain is hampered by unreliable electricity and a lack of refrigerated transport. Urban areas, particularly Accra, suffer from the urban heat island effect, with 85% of air conditioners being of the lowest energy efficiency category, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations and women.

• Ghana experiences substantial food loss and insecurity due to inadequate cold chain infrastructure, with 3.2 million tons of food wasted annually at a cost of approximately GHS 762.32 billion. This affects roughly 12.9 million people facing moderate or severe food insecurity as of 2022. The fruit and vegetable sector alone represents a potential annual revenue of up to USD 900 million if cold storage and refrigerated transport are improved.
• The healthcare cold chain in Ghana is severely limited by unreliable electricity in rural areas and a critical shortage of specialized transport. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the country had only 14 temperature-controlled vehicles, which, combined with insufficient ultra-cold storage and power outages, contributed to a low vaccination rate of only 2.8 percent by July 2021 despite a target of 87 percent.
• Urban heat and inefficient cooling technology pose significant health and economic risks in Ghana. In Accra, the urban heat island effect makes temperatures nearly 5°C higher than in rural areas. Furthermore, 85 percent of air conditioners in Ghana are in the lowest energy efficiency category (1 star), and 15 percent are in the 2 and 3 star categories, contributing to higher greenhouse gas emissions.
• Heat stress disproportionately impacts vulnerable groups and productivity in Ghana. By 2030, 12 percent of working hours in construction and agriculture are projected to be lost to heat stress. Women in urban slums, particularly street vendors and domestic workers, are at higher risk due to poor housing ventilation and higher perceived exposure to heatwaves.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (n.d.). Ghana’s cooling challenges and opportunities. https://www.seforall.org/ghanas-cooling-challenges-and-opportunities

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. Ghana’s cooling challenges and opportunities. n.d. https://www.seforall.org/ghanas-cooling-challenges-and-opportunities.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=Ghana’s cooling challenges and opportunities |url=https://www.seforall.org/ghanas-cooling-challenges-and-opportunities |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforallndghanas, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{Ghana’s cooling challenges and opportunities}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/ghanas-cooling-challenges-and-opportunities}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }