In Ghana’s Volta region, vibrant landscapes mask a hidden threat: air pollution. Amid this environmental challenge, advocate Hope Smith Lomotey is leading The Ho Oxygen City Project, using IQAir’s air quality monitors to help transform real-time air quality data into a powerful catalyst for change.

Pioneering Clean Air Initiatives in the Volta Region

With extensive experience in public health and environmental protection, Lomotey is more than Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional director—he’s a passionate advocate for clean air.

His journey began with a powerful realization: to solve a problem, you first need to see it. This realization led Lomotey to seek out cutting-edge technology to make air quality data accessible and actionable for the community. “Leveraging technology to reveal these hidden dangers is key,” Lomotey explained. “We need this scientific data to prove that the air quality is getting better or is deteriorating."

In the Ho Municipality of the Volta region, Lomotey spearheaded an initiative to address air pollution head-on.

The Ho Oxygen City Project: Filling Critical Data Gaps

Despite advances in expanding air quality monitoring networks globally, significant gaps still exist in developing regions. In Ghana, the absence of localized air data leaves communities unaware of the scale of pollution in their environment.

To address these gaps, Lomotey and his team launched the Ho Oxygen City Project with support from local leaders. The project aims to combat pollution through monitoring, reforestation efforts, and public engagement. With chiefs and residents pledging to fight bush burning and plant more trees, the initiative reflects a unified vision of environmental responsibility.

Partnering with local authorities and international collaborators, Lomotey has now installed a network of IQAir’s low-cost air quality sensors. With five air quality stations now operational across the Ho region, these sensors make once-invisible pollutants measurable and actionable.

Part of this effort involves educating the population, expanding an air quality campaign across Ghana’s senior high schools, starting in Eastern Ghana, to raise awareness and empower young people with knowledge about air quality.

Empowering Communities with Real-Time Technology

For Lomotey, IQAir’s technology is central to achieving his vision, enabling the community to access real-time data and empowering them to make informed daily decisions.

This technology has transformed how residents interact with their environment, enabling everyone from students to parents to make informed choices. Lomotey has observed members from all strata of the community using IQAir’s AirVisual Platform and app to check local air quality before planning daily activities, such as taking children to school or scheduling time outdoors.

Lomotey noted, “The app is simple, so community members of all ages can easily understand pollution levels and make informed choices to protect their health.”

A Vision for Africa: Scaling the Impact Beyond the Volta Region

While the project began in Ghana, Lomotey’s vision extends across Africa. He hopes the Ho Oxygen City Project will inspire similar air quality networks throughout the continent. By establishing monitoring stations in new areas, he aims to cultivate environmental awareness and support proactive health policies continent-wide.

The next phase of the Ho Oxygen City Project will involve installing five additional real-time air quality monitoring stations along the border near Aflao, Ghana. These stations will track air quality within a 3-kilometer radius, extending across the border into Lomé, Togo, allowing for real-time, comparative data between the two locations. Additional monitoring stations are also planned for the Sogakope Customs checkpoint in the Volta Region, with a 3-kilometer monitoring radius that will encompass nearby areas, including Ada in the Greater Accra Region. These expanded efforts aim to provide a more comprehensive, cross-border view of air quality dynamics in the region.

“Our goal is to illuminate unseen threats with technology,” Lomotey said. He envisions collaborating with governments and global organizations to lay the foundation for sustainable environmental practices across Africa. “We hope this project scales beyond the community level and reaches the policy level, where our data can drive real change.”

The takeaway

Hope Smith Lomotey’s work is a testament to the power of data and collaboration in tackling air pollution. His journey in the Ho Municipality could inspire a continent-wide movement, showing us that the first step toward meaningful change is often the courage to see the unseen—and then act on it.

“Air pollution knows no borders,” Lomotey said. “Our work is a testament to how communities can come together and take meaningful steps toward cleaner air for future generations.”