IDEAS Ghana, with support from Sanofi Foundation of France, facilitated the planting of planted 350 indigenous tree seedlings at the Yarigabisi School and CHPS Compound in the Bolgatanga East District of the Upper East Region.
The tree-planting activity was carried out under the SmartSHEAR (Yarigabisi Smart System for Community Heat and Air Quality Resilience) Project and forms part of the project’s Clean Air Zone initiative supported by Sanofi Foundation.
Community members, teachers, CHPS health staff and the IDEAS Ghana team took part in the exercise. The activity provided an opportunity for people within the community to contribute directly to efforts aimed at addressing the effects of increasing heat and poor air quality.
At the school, the trees are expected to provide shade and help create a more comfortable environment for learners. At the CHPS compound, they will provide shade and contribute to a greener and more comfortable environment for patients, health workers and other users of the facility.
The activity is particularly important for groups that may be more affected by extreme heat, including children, older people, pregnant women and people who spend significant amounts of time outdoors.
The tree planting is one of several activities being implemented under SmartSHEAR, a 12-month project running from July 2026 to June 2027. The project is being implemented in the Yarigabisi community to strengthen resilience to extreme heat and air pollution through measures including infrastructure improvements, an IoT-based early warning system, women’s economic resilience activities and health system strengthening.
Location: Yarigabisi, Bolgatanga East District, Upper East Region
