Implementation: Valley View University is located in Accra, the capital of Ghana. In 2001, it became the first ecological university in Africa. An ecological master plan was the basis for the sustainable campus. Developed 10 years prior, the master plan outlines an architectural and urban planning framework that works to conserve land use and energy, as well as to create closed nutrient and water cycles that support the local economy. It focuses on sustainable and resource-saving buildings; water and nutrient cycle management; ecologically sound treatment of landscape; large and connected green areas on campus with high biological activity; improvement of microclimate by means of bioactive zones; and activation of bioactive zones using local plants, retention swales and ditches, and human fertiliser.
Today, the technological concept serves as a regional and international pilot model. The university features a range of energy technologies. Electricity is generated from rooftop solar panels, and kitchen and sewage waste is converted to energy at the on-campus biogas plant. As part of its sustainable campus development, the university offers a degree program in ecological studies. According to the International Climate Protection Initiative, the estimated investment into the project was 1.3 million euros.
