{
  "id": 18358619,
  "title": "Professor Kusimi urges Ghanaians to embrace green spaces to reduce flooding and urban heat",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/professor-kusimi-urges-ghanaians-to-embrace-green-spaces-to-reduce",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-05T19:05:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/professor-kusimi-urges-ghanaians-to-embrace-green-spaces-to-reduce-flooding-and-urban-heat/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Professor John Kusimi, a Geography and Resource Development expert, has urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to promote greener property development practices among residents. He explains that widespread paving of residential areas, coupled with the construction of roads and other concrete structures, is limiting natural water infiltration and leading to more surface runoff and heightened flood risks. Kusimi suggests that homeowners should maintain some uncovered portions of their compounds, interspersed with grass and trees, to enable rainwater absorption into the soil. He warns that excessive paving and concrete structures also exacerbate urban heat, as they alter the sun's heat absorption and reflection, contributing to the urban heat island effect which raises city temperatures. Professor Kusimi emphasizes the importance of vegetation in regulating urban temperatures through shade provision, carbon dioxide absorption, and overall environmental quality improvement. He encourages Ghanaians to prioritize greening their surroundings, highlighting that sustainable urban development should extend beyond buildings, roads, and paved compounds. Kusimi believes that adopting greener landscapes is crucial for building climate-resilient cities better equipped to handle flooding and extreme heat.",
  "summary": "A Professor at the Department of Geography and Resource Development, Professor John Kusimi, has called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to encourage residents to adopt greener approaches to property development to help reduce flooding and rising temperatures in urban communities. He says the increasing practice of paving entire residential compounds, alongside the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "3News",
        "title": "Mahama urges Caribbean Ghanaians to use a 15- to 20-year housing mortgage",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/mahama-urges-caribbean-ghanaians-to-use-a-15-to-20-year-housing",
        "published": "2026-11-05T19:17:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}