Air pollution is a grave threat to human health, economies, and the environment. Air pollution, which kills an estimated 7 million people every year, is the biggest environmental health risk of our time. Airborne pollutants are responsible for about one third of deaths from stroke, chronic respiratory disease, and lung cancer, as well as one quarter of deaths from heart attack. Air pollution is also fundamentally altering our climate, with profound impacts on the health of the planet; the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report included all these.
Diversified sources create air pollution. It comes from cook stoves and kerosene lamps to coal-fired power plants, vehicle emissions, industrial furnaces, wildfires, and sand and dust storms. The problem is most acute in urban areas, particularly in Africa and Asia. In low- and middle-income countries, 98 per cent of cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants fail to meet the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines for UNEP.
The encouraging news is that tackling air pollution can bring significant benefits for economies, human health, and the climate. That’s why some nations and UNEP are working around the world to tackle air pollution – by supporting cleaner fuels and vehicles, inspiring individuals and city leaders to act, strengthening laws and institutions and developing affordable technologies to monitor air quality
From these stakeholders, the government of the United States of America has started exerting its responsibility. For the Office of Management Strategy and Solutions with the US Department of State, environmental innovation is among the crucial issues. With 75,000 employees around the world, the Department of State has a vested interest in ensuring personnel and their families have the data they need to make informed decisions to protect their health.
As stated on its website, innovation is core to the Department of State’s sustainability strategy. The Executive Secretariat works to harness creative ideas from employees and the private sector and scale them into enterprise solutions. One of the largest initiatives is for big data. Environmental and Geological Specialists (EGS) developed and deployed an Internet of Things (IoT) network to provide a strategic technological platform to capture and consolidate sustainability data for the Department of State.
Key programs include a global smart metering network for utilities, the air quality monitoring program, and a new program for vehicles, called telematics. The infrastructure ensures secure data transfer and a platform that enables machine learning and artificial intelligence to identify performance improvements for operational efficiency, consumption, and behavior.
Using modeled data, an estimated 84 percent of U.S. embassies and consulates are in areas that exceed U.S. annual air quality standards for fine particulate matter. Yet, at many locations, reliable and real-time air quality data is unavailable. In 2008, U.S. Embassy Beijing installed a reference grade air quality monitor on its roof and began publishing the data in real-time using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards and methodologies.
By 2015, all U.S. diplomatic missions in China and India had air quality monitors. To ensure economies of scale, the ability to integrate scientific and technological advances, and policy compliance, the Office of Management Strategy and Solutions (M/SS) developed the Department’s central air quality monitoring program (DOSAir), in partnership with the EPA.
As of May 2019, 40 U.S. embassies and consulates host reference grade air quality monitors. The real-time data supports the Department’s enterprise risk management, resiliency planning, and preparedness. All current and historical data collected through the program are available to the public through the EPA’s website. AirNow has published real-time domestic air quality data for over 20 years, providing U.S. personnel and citizens overseas with a familiar data and health messaging interface.
In 2020, the Department released the ZephAir mobile application on iOS and Android. ZephAir, inspired by the Greek word “zephyros” for “the west wind,” brings air quality data to your fingertips by displaying U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air quality index information and health messaging for more than 70 overseas locations, with data from reference-grade monitors at U.S. embassies and consulates and other government partners.
The app features the ability to set preferred locations, receive push notifications when the air quality index changes, and view 24-hour and weekly data. The app was developed to meet requests from the field for easier access to science-based, standardized, reliable, and transparent air quality data and corresponding health recommendations. The Greening Diplomacy Initiative (GDI) in the Office of Management Strategy and Solutions (M/SS) led app development, with input from the Air Pollution Working Group and support from the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA).
The program also provides a platform for showcasing U.S. environmental policy, technology, research, and data solutions. The air quality monitors are made in the United States to EPA specifications as delineated by the Clean Air Act. U.S. researchers and companies use DOSAir data to help fine-tune apps and devices. Overseas, local citizens have used AirNow’s RSS feed feature to make apps that further raise awareness about air pollution. Participating U.S. diplomatic posts often host capacity building workshops, hackathons, and other events to raise awareness about air pollution and share best practices in monitoring and mitigation technology in order to advance American interests.
In the same way, embassies are their own little city – they have to manage water, waste, energy, and mobility every day. EGS works to make the Department version of “smart cities” a reality. EGS collaborated with Department stakeholders to develop an enterprise smart metering program called MeterNet. The program automatically and securely captures real-time energy data from Department facilities – and soon, it will collect water and fuel consumption data as well. Analyzing the data allows the Department to identify efficiency opportunities on a scale that was previously impossible.
The program has already identified no-cost energy efficiency improvements worth millions of dollars in its pilot tranche of 30 U.S. diplomatic posts. The next step is overlaying machine learning and artificial intelligence onto the data to automatically identify savings and efficiencies, predict blackouts, and optimize maintenance and replacement schedules for equipment. These endeavors help reduce the Department’s environmental footprint, increasing operational resiliency, and improve performance.
On the other hand, recognizing the global threat of air pollution, the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) at its third sitting adopted resolution 3/8 on Preventing Air Pollution and requested UNEP to regularly “undertake an assessment of progress being made by Member States to adopt and implement key actions that can significantly improve air quality, in time for UNEA-5 and thereafter, synchronized with the Global Environment Outlook cycle”.
In response to this request, UNEP is providing an update to the 2016 report ‘Actions on Air Quality’ and a comprehensive global picture of national efforts towards improved air quality in time for UNEA-5 in February 2021. The global report update will be complimented by regional reports led by UNEP regional offices and supported by country-specific case studies. By doing so, the report will identify key actions that cover the range of interventions and policy options at three levels: global, regional and national.
In order to develop this report, UNEP has been working closely with partners and stakeholders from UN Agencies, governments, research institutions, private sector, civil society and relevant NGOs. Member States were invited to take part in an online survey that was used to capture country-specific air quality actions. Offline versions of the questionnaire were made available below to help prepare responses prior to taking the online survey.
Therefore, if the US Department of State experience on Air Quality Monitoring is scaled up by all nations across the globe, clean air would be accessed to enhance economic development and healthier communities.
BY DIRRIBA TESHOME
The Ethiopian Herald May 9/2021
