Abstract:

GeoHeat-SSA: Geo-Intelligence decision-support platform for urban heat governance in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) addresses the growing threat of extreme urban heat in rapidly expanding African cities. In Ghana, rising temperatures interact with dense development, vegetation loss, informal settlement growth, limited public infrastructure, and uneven access to cooling, creating serious risks for health, livelihoods, and urban liveability. However, many local authorities lack the data, technical capacity, and practical tools needed to identify heat hotspots, understand who is most vulnerable, and test effective responses.

The project will pilot a practical urban heat intelligence system in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, and Sekondi-Takoradi. It will combine satellite imagery, climate and land-use data, public health information, and community knowledge to map heat exposure and social vulnerability at neighbourhood scale. Machine-learning and geospatial methods will be used to identify the main drivers of urban heat, forecast future risk, and assess possible interventions such as urban greening, cool roofs, and blue infrastructure.