Ghana’s cities are expanding at a breathtaking pace. From Madina to Cape Coast, from Sekondi-Takoradi to Tamale, concrete infrastructure are rising, wetlands are shrinking, and open lands are disappearing. But something else is rising quietly alongside this growth. Heat. And not just ordinary heat – dangerous urban heat.Urban heat refers to the rise in temperatures in built-up areas compared to surrounding rural environments, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect. It is caused by dense construction materials such as concrete and asphalt that absorb and re-radiate heat, limited vegetation cover, reduced airflow between buildings, and heat generated from vehicles and air conditioning systems. It can be mitigated through urban greening, reflective building materials, improved urban design, and the protection of wetlands and open spaces.In Accra, meteorological data show a steady increase in average annual temperatures over the past several decades, consistent with national trends. Ghana’s mean temperature has risen by approximately 1°C since the 1960s, according to the Ghana Meteorological Agency and climate analyses cited in the World Bank Climate Knowledge portal. Rapid urbanisation amplifies this warming locally, making parts of Accra significantly hotter than surrounding peri-urban areas.The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment report (2021-2022) warns that west Africa is one of the most climate-vulnerable regions globally.As urban populations grow – Ghana’s urban population now exceeds 56% of the country’s total – the way cities expand will determine whether they become heat-resilient or heat traps. Tree planting must move beyond symbolic campaigns towards long-term urban forest strategies with maintenance budgets and enforceable protection laws.But Ghana’s urban planning systems are acting as if trees are ornamental – not essential. They are essential.In a recent study I led on extreme heat in Accra – covering communities such as Madina, Ashaley Botwe, Osu and Dansoman – residents repeatedly described afternoons as “unbearable” and nights as “no longer cool enough to recover”.We found three troubling patterns:Dense built environments trap heat. Areas with fewer trees and more paved surfaces recorded higher thermal discomfort.Informal workers suffer disproportionately. Market traders, porters, transport operators and street vendors endure prolonged exposure with minimal shade.Heat is becoming a governance issue because communities directly associate rising thermal discomfort with poor urban planning, weak protection of green spaces and the lack of enforceable heat adaptation policies. Communities expressed frustration that urban development permits often ignore green buffers and tree retention.There’s global evidence that urban vegetation can reduce surface temperatures by 2-8°C through shading and evapotranspiration. That cooling effect can mean the difference between manageable discomfort and heat stress. In low-income neighbourhoods without air conditioning, trees are life-saving infrastructure.Ghana is losing its natural cooling systemsAccra’s wetlands have been filled – converted into residential and commercial developments, often through land reclamation and informal settlement expansion. School compounds that once offered shade – historically provided by mature trees and open green grounds – are increasingly paved to create parking spaces or additional classroom blocks, reducing canopy cover.New housing estates prioritise plot maximisation over tree canopy coverage, often removing existing vegetation to increase sellable land area. Markets and lorry parks, where thousands work daily, are designed without structured shading systems. The result is a slow transformation of cities into heat traps.Urban heat is not just an environmental issue. It reduces productivity, increases electricity demand, raises health risks, and deepens inequality. When trees disappear, vulnerability increases.Let us consider Singapore. In the 1960s, it faced rapid urbanisation and land scarcity. Instead of unchecked concrete expansion, it adopted a deliberate vision: to become a “City in a Garden”.Today, over 47% of Singapore’s land area is covered by greenery. Urban tree canopy is integrated into transport corridors. Vertical gardens and rooftop greenery are mandated in many developments. Green roofs and sky parks cool buildings naturally. Biodiversity corridors link parks across the city.Green infrastructure in Singapore is not cosmetic. It is embedded in planning law, architectural design, and national climate adaptation strategy. The cooling benefits are measurable. Urban greening reduces ambient temperatures and lowers building energy demand. Green corridors also enhance mental health, biodiversity and flood control. Singapore demonstrates that dense cities do not have to be hot cities.In Melbourne (Australia), a long-term Urban Forest Strategy aims to double canopy cover to reduce heat stress. In Medellín (Colombia), “green corridors” reduced urban temperatures by up to 2°C while improving air quality and public safety. In Paris, large-scale tree planting is being used to protect residents from projected heatwaves linked to climate change.These cities recognise that climate resilience is not built only with drainage systems and sea walls, but with trees.Ghana’s opportunity for leadershipGhana does not need to copy Singapore exactly. The ecological and economic contexts differ. But it can adopt the principle: treat green spaces as essential infrastructure.Based on evidence from my work and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change findings, three urgent actions stand out:Protect existing mature trees before planting new ones. Preservation is cheaper and more effective than replacement.Mandate green coverage ratios in urban development permits. No estate approval without minimum canopy standards.Prioritise shading in high-exposure areas – markets, lorry parks, pedestrian routes and schools.Urban greening must move from ceremonial tree planting to enforceable planning policy.The economic argumentHeat reduces labour productivity. It increases hospital visits. It strains electricity systems. A shaded city is a productive city.When we invest in trees, we reduce cooling costs, improve air quality, enhance mental well-being, and buffer floods.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change repeatedly highlights nature-based solutions as cost-effective adaptation measures. Ghana’s urban future must align with that science.If Ghana continues paving over shade, filling wetlands and neglecting canopy cover, it is engineering hotter, harsher, more unequal cities.Urban greening must be:embedded into building codesrequired in housing developmentsintegrated into transport corridorsprotected through enforceable zoningmaintained through dedicated municipal budgets.This is where policy meets practice. The next generation should inherit cities where walking at noon does not feel dangerous. Green spaces are not decorative luxuries. They are our climate insurance. And in a warming Ghana, insurance is no longer optional.Yaw Agyeman Boafo received funding from the Belmont Forum’s Disaster Risk, Reduction and Resilience initiative (CRA 2019) and UKRI (grant EP/V002945/1), with support from various international research councils.