New research project bolsters air monitoring in Kenya and South Africa

Air pollution and poverty are closely aligned challenges in African cities. Despite serious health risks, there is often a lack of sufficient measurement data and actions. In a Formas-funded project, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute collaborates with researchers in Kenya and South Africa to improve air monitoring and raise awareness of how air pollution affects human health.

Half of all children in Africa live in poverty, and poor air quality has particularly negative effects on children's health. Increasing knowledge and awareness of these issues is crucial to bringing about change, says Ågot Watne, researcher at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.

Air pollution is a major health problem in African cities, where traffic, road dust and industrial emissions adversely affect air quality. Improving air monitoring and measurement data is an important step towards taking appropriate action. In 2022, only 12 out of 47 African countries reported data to the World Health Organization's air quality database, making it difficult to identify and tackle the problem.

In the current project, air measurement has now started in Pretoria, South Africa, and will begin later in Kenya.

The measurements provide us with important data on air pollution in both urban and semi-urban settings. By using cost-effective and easy-to-maintain measurement tools, we can fill the gaps in the country's air monitoring, and better inform legislation that protects public health, says Mandla Budha, a researcher at the University of Pretoria, who is involved in the project.

In many parts of Africa there is a lack of information on the impact of air pollution on human health, which can hinder action to reduce emissions. Raising knowledge and awareness of these issues is therefore an important part of the project. The project is being executed in cooperation with municipalities and schools, where pupils are given the opportunity to participate in both educational packages and surveys of air pollution in their local environment.

It is an exciting collaboration between three countries with a common goal. Although air quality in Sweden is better than in Kenya and South Africa, we still do not meet the WHO recommendations. There is a lot we can do in all countries to improve urban air quality, and by working together we can find common solutions, says Ågot Watne.

For more information, contact:
Ågot Watne, agot.watne@ivl.se, tel. +46 (0)10-788 66 10