A new report sheds light on the dangerous air pollution levels across Africa and discusses why global action is necessary for addressing the matter.
Air Pollution in Africa
In the past 50 years, countries in Africa have been facing the fast deterioration of quality. Because of this, their cities have become some of the world's most polluted ones.
The concentration levels of particulate matter lie at five to 10 levels beyond the levels that the World Health Organization recommended. This situation could get worse as industrialization rises and the population grows.
However, efforts to address this rising problem are very minimal. Only 0.01% of the world's air pollution fund is allocated for Africa. Now, the new report posits that to address the matter in Africa, it is necessary to exercise collective action from African nations, global collaboration, and solutions that are tailored to fit regions.
Atmospheric science professor Francis Pope from the University of Birmingham, along with a co-author of the report, notes various reasons why African nations face poor air quality. These causes include shipped old vehicles from Europe, biomass fuel burning for heating, lighting, and cooking, the exploitation of crude oils, and the coal mining sector.
Professor Pope explains that the dangerous air may lead to complicated or even deadly health conditions for those who inhale it. What makes things worse is that air pollution in Africa does not just affect those who live there; it affects the entire world as it limits the capacity to achieve worldwide targets for climate and to address the global climate change emergency.
Call to Action
Over the years, several efforts have been exerted to address air pollution. These include the signing of the C40 Clean Air Declaration that 10 major cities in Africa positted. There have also been efforts to monitor levels of air pollution and gather relevant data.
However, there is still so much to do. The authors argue that international and regional action should be coordinated in order to see real change and to maximize current knowledge regarding the control and cutting of air pollution.
The researchers call for collaboration on air monitoring through sensor networks, clean energy investments, enhanced waste management of solids, environmentally friendly technology investments, and improved infrastructure.
Dr. Gabriel Okello, a co-author of the report from the University of Cambridge's Institute for Sustainability Leadership and the African Center for Clean Air, explains that air pollution is complex and has many facets with various societal sources and patterns. For the mater to be addressed, it is necessary to have participatory, collaborative, and ambitious approaches centered on stakeholder developments in business, policy, communities, and academia.
Professor Pope notes that there is no one-size-fits-all way to address the air quality issues in Africa. Each population and region faces context-specific challenges. However, proactivity and doing the said actions could results in air pollution reduction.
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