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NEEDS FOR AIR QUALITY DATA COLLECTION
Air pollution is the fourth leading risk factor for early death and the leading environmental cause of death worldwide, contributing to nearly 7 million (1 out of 9) deaths in 2019.Up to 99% of us are breathing polluted air, cutting lives short by an average of 2.3 years across the globe Air pollution impacts our health in many ways, starting when we’re in the womb.
Air pollution impacts practically every organ in the body and is associated with acute and chronic cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, as well as increased incidence of lung cancer, diabetes, and poor birth outcomes.
The burden of air pollution is unequal, with some people being far more vulnerable and some breathing far more polluted air. For example, children are particularly susceptible to air pollution’s insidious effects—they breathe more rapidly than adults, taking in more polluted air, and are proportionally exposed at higher levels due to their small bodies and developing organs.
World Health Organization (WHO) report estimated that outdoor and indoor air pollution resulted in 543,000 deaths in children under the age of 5 years in 2016.
Marginalized communities are also unfairly burdened. Not only is the air they breathe typically more polluted, but they are also more susceptible to air pollution due to experiencing other poor health conditions caused by the broader social and environmental context in which they live. Structural racism and the legacy of colonialism play a large role in creating these health conditions and allowing for higher levels of exposure.
For instance, children born in Niger Delta states are exposed to inhaling dirty air infact right from the womb because the parent were bore into an air polluted environment where gas has been flared over decades and it becomes normal and their body systems get immune to it. Looking at the impact of Air pollution in the region without proper scientific research carried out on both young and older persons, one can see the impact on the body reactions of some persons suffering from severe respiratory track diseases, cough and difficulty in breathing etc.
Long term exposed to air pollution from gas flaring have severe environmental and health effects which are but not limited to Health community people who lives in such areas where air pollution such as gas flaring has been on for decades and still ongoing will suffer from respiratory problems cardiovascular disease and increased cancer risks due to exposed to harmful pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides particulate matter – these pollutants is high in areas where extractive activities are going ,chemical manufacturing industries and production are going on, chronic exposure can leads to adverse effect on the nervous system and reproductive health
Environmental /climate Damages – the environment is affected the soil degradation water contamination, harm the flora and fauna, soils and water bodies can be acidified, disrupting ecosystem and reducing biodiversity. Gas flaring releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane into the air that contribute to global and climate.
Economic and Social consequence- the degradation of natural resources and health impact can lead to increased healthcare cost and loss of productivity as its affect local communities. Communities living close to gas flares face displacement also reduced quality of life they should due to the environmental and health effects.
Benefits
- A more stable climate: Several pollutants both harm health directly and warm the planet. And because fossil fuels are not only the major source of greenhouse gases, but also a primary source of air pollution, reducing fossil fuel consumption is a win-win proposition.
- Improved food security: Cleaner air improves crop yields.
- Healthier ecosystems, plants, and animals: Air pollutants contaminate not only air, but also water and soil. Reducing air pollution therefore supports ecosystems broadly, allowing them to perform services that support all living beings.
- Greater social equity: Reducing air pollution has even greater positive impacts for people who are disadvantaged socioeconomically and/or are disproportionately exposed.
- Stronger economies: Cleaner air results in a healthier, longer-lived workforce.
- Clearer views: Smoke reduces visibility.
- Preservation of culturally significant buildings and monuments: Certain air pollutants form acid rain that not only harms living beings, but also degrades certain building mate
NEEDS FOR AIR QUALITY DATA
Despite the urgency of confronting this global challenge, only 61% of governments worldwide produce air quality data, leaving over 1 billion people without access to fundamental information that could protect them from the harmful effects of air pollution. Reliable data on air pollution are fundamental to understanding and taking corrective action to improve air quality. Air quality data underpin all actions on air pollution. They tell us how much pollution is in the air we breathe. They predict how air pollution will change in space and time. They shape our understanding of how air pollution impacts human health, climate change, ecological health and economic well-being. Air quality data serve as an important foundation for the design, implementation, enforcement and assessment of the effectiveness of pollution control policies. Access to air quality data is critical for public, private and civil society initiatives to improve the air we breathe. Accurate, timely and sustained monitoring provides the evidence needed to develop targeted solutions to air pollution. It’s a noted principle that people have a right to know what they are breathing and should be able to freely access, use, reuse, and redistribute air quality data.
Benefits of open data include:
- Innovation:When data are open, everyone – civil society, government, private sector, academia – can help solve key social challenges. Diversity of knowledge, skills and experience leads to more innovative and durable approaches.
- Collaboration and knowledge sharing:Working together using and sharing open data builds trust, encourages collaboration, and facilitates knowledge sharing across boundaries.
- Equity:Access to open data empowers marginalized communities to access evidence about disparities and advocate for equitable approaches.
- Improved decision-making:When data are open to the public, they can make better-informed decisions that are based on actual evidence instead of preconceived ideas.
- Public oversight and accountability:When governments are transparent and open their data to the public, it allows for greater participation in and oversight of government affairs. With access to the data, citizens have a better idea of what officials and politicians are doing and are better able to hold them accountable, which leads to more effective and efficient government services.
- Reproducibility and scientific advancement:Open data support scientific advancement, by allowing for confirmation of the results of past methods. Data on open platforms can serve as a way to check the reliability and credibility of replicated scientific research and encourage new discoveries through the sharing and transparency of data.
- Efficiency:Open data make it easier for users to examine and put data to use rather than searching for and acquiring data. As
Therefore it’s mandatory and fundamental for us to monitor air quality as Greenleaf Advocacy and Empowerment Center advocate and call for air quality monitoring to be a fundamental rights for us as polluted air is unhealthy for humans.