Razak Musah, 25, is a young farmer who lives in Kparigu, a community in Tamale. He works in Accra and has a farm business in his village, Kparigu. Razak sees the onset of Harmattan as a threat to his rice and soybean farms. He says he must buy four gallons of water daily for his rice farms. This number however doubles during the harmattan season. He spends about 55% of his earnings on irrigation due to droughts and makes very little profit. Razak has lived in the northern part from childhood and agriculture is one of his family’s major income sources. He laments “The intensity of harmattan in recent years is a cause for worry for the food industry”.
Amina runs a soybean business on a 10-acre land at Kparigu. She laments spending 450 Ghana cedis daily on a jerry can of water for her crops. Even though Amina still makes a profit from her yields, she worries about the stability of rice and soybean farming for young farmers since economic and agricultural benefits are at stake. The harmattan in the north presents a lot of food challenges from the northern part of Ghana. For a thriving agricultural landscape such as Tamale, Bolga, and the like, intense dry winds from the harmattan pose a great toll on food production and supply. Yam and rice which are staple foods in Ghana are largely imported from the north to other regions for consumption.
The harmattan season in Ghana, particularly in the northern region, brings a complex mixture of environmental, health, and economic challenges. The dust, dryness, and lower temperatures influence everything from agriculture to public health, education, and transport. For many communities, the season can be a time of struggle, while for others, it may represent an opportunity for adaptation and resilience.
Harmattan originates from the Sahara Desert, where dry, cool air picks up fine dust particles and is carried southward by the trade winds. These winds blow across the Sahelian and sub-Saharan regions, reaching the West African coastline, including Ghana, during the dry season.
In recent years, there have been reports of stronger harmattan seasons, with dust storms reaching even further south than usual, affecting areas that typically would not experience such intense dust. This shift may be linked to broader environmental changes, including rising temperatures and shifting wind patterns.
28,000 Ghanaians die prematurely every year as a result of air pollution, according to the World Health Organization 2020, Air pollution is the second highest health risk factor for death and disability after malnutrition. Young children and adults over 50 are most at risk of disease and premature death.
Dr. Razak Kassim, a medical officer at the Tamale Teaching Hospital in the Northern Region says cases reported at the internal medicine department of the hospital are prevalent with pneumonia diagnosis. He mentions that “3 in 10 patients are living with pneumonia”. He believes it has a lot to do with the air quality which has worsened over the past few years.
Health experts in Ghana advise continual wearing of nose masks and drinking more water to avoid dehydration. Anita Asamoah who is a public health advocate calls for more awareness creation on harmattan and its adverse effects. She says” It has become a norm to expect dry winds or harmattan in December to February so most people see it as one of those seasons. However it has adverse effects on our health especially in urban areas where air quality is poor”. Depending on where you live she said” frequent coughs and breathing problems can build into more dire respiratory issues such as pneumonia, lung issues, and more.
With growing environmental concerns, harmattan poses high health risks in urban and peri-urban areas. Also, harmattan worsening Ghna’s already ailing agricultural industry with droughts and low crop yields.
By: Esther Agyapong
