Board Member
Professional Background and Leadership in Environmental Protection
Dr. Irene Akosua Aboagye Kumi has dedicated over 15 years of her professional life to the field of environmental protection, sustainability, and social responsibility, where she has distinguished herself as a passionate, knowledgeable, and reliable leader. She currently serves as a Principal Programme Officer at the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) of Ghana, one of the country’s foremost regulatory institutions.
At the EPA, Dr. Aboagye Kumi has played a leading role in Environmental Assessment, Compliance and Enforcement, Environmental Monitoring, and Auditing. Her work has been central to ensuring that development projects across multiple sectors—including manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, health, agriculture, and mining—comply with Ghana’s environmental laws and international best practices. She has coordinated Technical Review Committees for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), overseen public hearings to ensure community voices are incorporated into decision-making, and resolved complex environmental complaints that required multi-stakeholder negotiation and technical expertise.
Some of her notable contributions include:
– Environmental Education and Advocacy: Leading public sensitization campaigns in the Adentan, La Nkwantanang-Madina, and Ga East Municipalities on issues such as illegal mining, water resource protection, pesticide management, and climate change.
– Complaint Investigations: Successfully managing hundreds of environmental complaints ranging from improper waste management to industrial pollution, with a focus on providing lasting solutions and building trust between communities, industries, and regulators.
– Stakeholder Engagement: Serving as the EPA representative on statutory planning committees in multiple municipalities, where she has contributed to environmentally sound urban development and land-use planning.
– Environmental Document Review: Overseeing the review of over 3,000 environmental applications, ensuring that projects meet compliance standards and safeguard public health and the environment.
Academic Journey and Thought Leadership
Motivated by the recurring non-compliance challenges she observed in her regulatory work, Dr. Aboagye Kumi pursued a PhD in Environmental Science to dig deeper into systemic issues undermining sustainability. Her doctoral research investigated the lack of awareness and application of Environmental Due Diligence in Ghana, with a particular focus on the real estate sector.
Her findings highlighted gaps in regulatory awareness, developer practices, and institutional systems, and she made a strong case for mainstreaming due diligence into real estate and infrastructure development. This contribution positioned her as one of the early champions of Environmental Due Diligence in Ghana, pushing the agenda for a culture of accountability and proactive compliance rather than reactive enforcement.
Her research is now serving as a knowledge base for integrating due diligence practices into corporate governance and development planning in Ghana and beyond.
Passion for Gender, Water, Sanitation, and Climate Change
Beyond her technical expertise, Dr. Aboagye Kumi has been a strong advocate for women’s leadership in environmental sustainability. She firmly believes that women play a unique role in advancing solutions to climate change, water management, and sanitation challenges because of their direct lived experiences and community influence.
Her professional and advocacy work aligns seamlessly with the mission of Women in Water, Sanitation and Climate Change (WINWSC). She has:
– Championing Water Resource Protection: Advocated for the safeguarding of rivers and wetlands in Greater Accra, engaging local communities—especially women and youth—on sustainable practices.
– Climate Change Sensitization: Designed and delivered educational programmes for schools and municipalities on the impact of climate change, with a focus on empowering women and girls to act as agents of resilience.
– Gender-Responsive Environmental Planning: Consistently promoted the inclusion of women in public hearings, stakeholder consultations, and environmental decision-making processes.
Personal Philosophy and Values
Dr. Aboagye Kumi is not only a professional but also a wife, mother, and lover of priceless things. She believes in leaving the environment better than she met it and works daily towards that mission. She embraces every opportunity to challenge her intellectual capacity, continuously learn, and expand her influence—because, in her words, ‘why not be the best in your space?’
Her values of integrity, resilience, and continuous learning make her a trusted leader and a role model for young professionals—especially women—seeking to make an impact in the environmental and sustainability sectors.
Conclusion
With over 15 years of proven experience, deep technical expertise, and an unwavering commitment to gender-responsive sustainability, Dr. Irene Akosua Aboagye Kumi brings both vision and practical knowledge to the Board of Women in Water, Sanitation and Climate Change (WINWSC). Her professional journey, academic insights, and advocacy efforts uniquely position her to contribute meaningfully to the NGO’s mission of transforming lives through water, sanitation, and climate action.