Pollution in Africa: dangerous levels that require cooperation to solve Sciences

A new report in the journal Nature Geoscience highlights the challenge of air pollution levels in Africa and why international action is needed to combat it.

Little has been done to combat the deterioration

As the University of Birmingham press release says, over the past 50 years, African countries have suffered from rapid deterioration in air quality, making their cities some of the most polluted in the world. Particulate matter concentration levels are now five to 10 levels higher than those recommended by the World Health Organization, with the situation expected to worsen as population grows and industrialization accelerates.

However, little has been done to try to combat dangerous air quality, with only 0.01% of global funding spent on addressing current air pollution in Africa.

“Burning biomass fuels for cooking, heating and lighting, crude oil exploitation and coal mining industries, and older vehicles shipped from Europe are all reasons for poor air quality in African countries,” says Francis Pope, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Birmingham and one of the report’s co-authors.

He adds: “This dangerous air can cause complex and sometimes fatal health problems for those who breathe it, and if this is not reason enough to address this problem, air pollution in Africa is not only a problem for people living on the continent, but also for people who live in the wider world, limiting the ability to achieve global climate goals and combat the climate emergency.”

Urgent cooperation is required

According to the press release, the researchers therefore called for urgent cooperation on:

• Continuous monitoring of the air via a network of sensors in order to build a detailed picture of air pollution changes and track progress.
• Investing in clean energy such as solar, hydropower and wind to meet Africa’s energy demand, which is expected to double by 2040.
• Improving solid waste management to prevent dumping and burning of waste and improve reuse, recycling and recovery rates.
• Invest in environmentally friendly technology to ensure African countries are able to grow economically while avoiding outdated dirty technology coming from the Global North.
• Improving infrastructure to reduce emissions from the transport sector, improving the provision of public transport and adopting higher emission standards for imported fuel and vehicles.

Participation and appropriate solutions

“Air pollution is complex and multifaceted, with different sources and patterns within society, so tackling this is crucial,” said report co-author Dr Gabriel Okello, from the University of Cambridge Sustainability Leadership Institute and the African Clean Air Centre. “This requires a more ambitious, collaborative and participatory approach centered around the engagement of stakeholders in policy, academia, business and communities to co-design and co-produce context-specific interventions.”

“This should be stimulated by increased investment in interventions that address air pollution. Africa has the opportunity to capitalize on growing political will and tap into a younger population to accelerate action towards the five broad proposals in our paper.”

Professor Pope concludes: “There is no one-size-fits-all solution to air quality problems in Africa, and every region and every population will have their own challenges to overcome. But by being proactive and doing these five actions there will be a reduction in air pollution levels, which means healthier people.” And a healthier planet.”