Air quality and well being in cities

Conveners: Marie Thynell, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg and Johan Boman, Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg

Contact: marie.thynell@globalstudies.gu.se

Cities are where people and pollution come together and require a concerted approach to mitigate exposure and health impacts from air pollution, as well as certain regional climate impacts. Some of the most challenging and rapidly growing urban areas are in the Global South where data, resources and capacity are limited, but health and social impacts of air pollution are significant.

Air pollution is among the leading global risks for mortality and responsible for more than seven million premature deaths annually (WHO 2014). For instance, in Nairobi pneumonia is the leading cause of death for children under five (Egondi 2015). Cities often lack effective air quality management and environmental protection leaving everyone without information and tools to handle the growing problems of air pollution.

Abatements of air quality in developing regions are targeted by most Sustainable Development Goals but so far poorly addressed. A starting point is the availability of high quality data preferably freely available to researchers, organizations and the public for open validation and use. In order to establish systematic long-term strategies for improvement of air quality the development of local capacity and support of relevant institutions in terms of knowledge and infrastructure is crucial, but difficult to establish.

In an effort to make visible the invisible risks, we call for contributions describing examples, feasibilities and ideas that illustrate how air quality initiatives can support improvement on various SDGs. We welcome contributions related to information, approaches, collaborations and strategies associated with air quality management efforts aiming at reducing emission exposure in cities.

23 Aug., 14:00–15:30, Seminar Room Y11

• Air Pollution Challenges and Achievements. A Research Report from Nairobi, Kenya. Michael J. Gatari Gichuru, University of Nairobi.

• An integrated approach to sustainability and resilience in polluted and vulnerable informal settlements in Nairobi. Johan Boman and Marie Thynell, University of Gothenburg.

• Maternal and infant health in sub-Saharan Africa - the role of air pollution. Christina Isaxon, Ebba Malmqvist, Christopher Redman, Stefan Hansson, Åsa Nääv, Per Björkman and Niclas Winqvist, Lund University and Oxford University.

• Air, health and economic growth: an estimate of burden of diseases due to air pollution in urban India. Amrita Ghatak, Debasish Nandy and Suddhasil Siddhanta, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune and Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune.

Abstracts

Air Pollution Challenges and Achievements. A Research Report from Nairobi, Kenya. Michael J. Gatari Gichuru, University of Nairobi.

An integrated approach to sustainability and resilience in polluted and vulnerable informal settlements in Nairobi. Johan Boman and Marie Thynell, University of Gothenburg.

Objective: Cities are where people and pollution are brought into contact. Air pollution is among the greatest global risks for mortality and it is responsible for more than 7 million premature deaths annually. Concerted efforts are therefore now urgently required to limit exposure to pollutants. The countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are undergoing rapid urbanization but the lack of mitigation of critical levels of air pollution are impeding on a healthy and fruitful city development in many of the countries. In a strategic initiative by Gothenburg Atmospheric science Center (GAC) three major aims have been identified. Firstly, to facilitate and support collaborative research in the area of air quality, socio-economics and policy studies. Secondly, to explore the possibility of coordinated initiatives on air quality mitigation as a scientific base for development of a livable city, including transport solutions, in collaboration with local academics, officials, and other stakeholders. And thirdly, to develop local research capacities and competence familiar with local viewpoints on air quality and the related social and political issues. There is a need of improving the scientific basis for addressing risks and uncertainties, which is largely due to lack of local measurement data from African cities. The approach to air pollution and its impact on humans is in line with several of the Sustainable Development Goal. Methodology: Although only one long term measurement of particulate air pollution has been published and continuous monitoring is not yet in place in Nairobi, the air quality trends are worrying with pollution levels many times higher than the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO). There is a need define: 1) long-term concentrations of the air pollution composition, 2) local source signatures which are necessary for source apportionment, 3) trends and seasonal variation of air pollution, 4) the effects of low air quality on the inhabitants (health and environment), 5) strategies developed by different stakeholders for confronting the growing societal challenges of polluted air. Through long term and short term measurements of air quality and thematically organized meetings with government officials, technical officers and local communities the air quality work will expand into a more technical realm, providing access to information and powerful evidence to reinforce planning dialogues based on needs at local level. Expected results: The results of existing measurements of air pollution in Nairobi show a significant difference between concentrations at street level and urban background concentrations. Evaluation of the trace element content of the particles reveals traffic to be the major contributor to the particles. Initial studies in slum areas show a relation between the polluted air and health outcomes but a lack of knowledge of the pollution sources indoors and outdoors, such as transport corridors and heating/cooking practices. Some differences in ambient concentrations are ascribed to air mass movements, while local conditions like weekly traffic patterns also influence air quality. Therefore information about the local socio-economic conditions will add to the understanding of what steps can be taken to improve conditions in cities like Nairobi.

Maternal and infant health in sub-Saharan Africa - the role of air pollution. Christina Isaxon, Ebba Malmqvist, Christopher Redman, Stefan Hansson, Åsa Nääv, Per Björkman, Niclas Winqvist, Lund University / Oxford University.

Aim: The overall objective of this project is to investigate how maternal and infant health is influenced by air pollution in a prospective cohort of women recruited during pregnancy at public health facilities in, Adama Ethiopia. Method: Inclusion of study participants from antenatal clinics started in November 2015, and is expected to continue for one year until at least 2 000 pregnant women have been included. Follow-up of both women and children is planned to continue for four years. Air pollution is assessed by a combination of GIS-models, measurements and questionnaires. A new internet based data system will be used, developed and provided by CoLab. Results: Epidemiological studies will be conducted on the health effects of air pollution from both traffic and biomass cooking. So far, air pollution measurements have been initiated showing pollution levels much higher than WHO guidelines throughout the city.

Air, health and economic growth: an estimate of burden of diseases due to air pollution in urban India. Amrita Ghatak, Gujarat Institute of Development Research; Debasish Nandy, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics and Suddhasil Siddhanta, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics.

Despite having high rate of economic growth air-pollution in India particularly in the urban areas has been increasing since recent past. Air quality has failed to meet the health-based standards in many of the Indian cities (http://www.cseindia.org/node/209) raising a question to the sustainability of urban areas. While transport sector, industrial and domestic emission cause to the pollution of air at open spaces, it is mainly the sources of fuel and cooking arrangement at households that pollute in-house air. Workers engaged in the Industrial activities are often found to suffer from diseases caused due to inhalation of toxic gases and particulate matters found in the air at their workplaces. It is therefore pertinent to understand the pathways through which air-pollution influences the human well-being as indicated by health parameters in urban India. In this paper we will make an attempt to 1) examine the link between air-pollution and economic growth at the State levels in India; and 2) find out the economic burden of diseases related to air-pollution among different groups of individuals. We will rely on various secondary sources including the unit level data available with the National Sample Surveys on health and morbidity (2004 and 2014) In India. The analyses by industries and/or occupation in urban areas will help in comparing and contrasting the burden of air-pollution and related diseases across regions. The results will also help in understanding the larger theoretical debate around the relationship between income and environmental quality as indicated by air-pollution in this paper.