You can now breathe easy in Kisumu as the county is set to install air quality monitoring gadgets that will offer timely data to be used to tackle rising air pollution.
The devices, to be placed at various spots in the lakeside city, use high-resolution artificial intelligence and make the data accessible to members of the public via a smartphone app and the digital dashboard.
Kisumu City Manager Abala Wanga noted that the project, to be implemented by Ugandan firm AirQo, will go live in the next two weeks.
“The monitors will be placed at various locations, including Jua Kali, Kibuye market, the main bus terminus and the central business district, among other areas,” he said.
The initiative, funded by Google, is being implemented in 10 cities, including Dakar (Senegal), Douala (Cameroon), Lagos (Nigeria) and the Ugandan cities of Kampala, Fort Portal and Jinja.
The dashboard will give green (good), yellow (satisfactory) and red (poor) signals to indicate levels of air quality in particular areas at different dates and times.
Kisumu County Secretary John Auma noted that the county will set up a secretariat to take charge of the programme, which aims to enhance cleaner air in the lakeside city.
“The team will help in analysing and forecasting air quality data to international standards and work with partners to reduce air pollution and raise awareness of its effects,” he said shortly after signing an agreement with the firm.
Monitor capabilities
The monitors are designed to measure the quantities of air pollutants such as dust, dirt, soot, smoke and pollutants from motorised vehicles or vessels.
Prof Engineer Bainomugisha, AirQo team leader, noted that they will map monitoring locations and deploy air quality data infrastructure.
Lack of actionable data and insights to tackle pollution has made it difficult to track progress or lack of progress, he said.
“As a vibrant premier industrial and commercial centre, Kisumu has to deal with the consequences of rapid population growth and urbanisation such as increased motorised transport and industrial activities,” he said.
Possible pollution drivers in African cities are industrial processes like untreated effluents, use of biomass, poor waste management practices, urban transport infrastructure and dust from unpaved roads.
Air pollution is the world’s largest single environmental health risk, with World Health Organisation reports showing that seven million people die every year from exposure to air pollution.
Among other side effects, air pollution causes cardiovascular and respiratory diseases that lead to the loss of healthy years of life.
Mr Wanga noted that the programme is in line with the city’s plan to implement its non-motorised mobility plan that seeks to reduce air pollution.
With support from the Ford Foundation and the International Climate Initiative, the 10-year mobility plan provides a roadmap for improving the mobility needs of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. BY DAILY NATION