Towards Cleaner Cities: Stakeholder Solutions for Combating Urban Air Pollution Enforcement Challenges in Ghana

Abstract Research on air pollution control has largely concentrated on Europe, China, and India, with minimal focus on Africa. Existing African studies often examine environmental regulation in general, overlooking the specific challenges of air pollution governance. This study addresses the gap by applying a systems-based framework in Ghana to identify barriers and generate solutions for effective implementation and enforcement. Using the Future Workshop (FW) methodology, four workshops were held in Takoradi, Kumasi, Tamale, and Accra in 2024, engaging 20–35 institutional stakeholders per site. The process followed five phases: preparation, critical analysis, fantasy, implementation, and action. A total of 59 barriers were identified and classified into seven domains: politics and governance, education and training, technology, funding and economics, institutional collaboration, legal/regulatory frameworks, and socio-cultural factors. Participants proposed over 200 solutions, which were refined through consensus and prioritized into 90 actionable strategies. Each was evaluated using SWOT analysis and a Desirability-Possibility framework, with all recommended strategies scoring at least 60% for feasibility and desirability. The findings underscore the potential of multi-sectoral, context-specific strategic interventions to constitute a comprehensive framework for advancing effective air quality governance and public health protection in Ghana, while contributing valuable insights to broader African and global environmental management discourse..