Makerere’s sensors bring air-quality M
Makerere University's AirQo initiative is deploying affordable air-quality sensors across African cities to measure pollution levels. While the data helps identify hotspots, residents and researchers are questioning whether these readings are leading to effective policy changes.
Why it matters
Low-cost sensor technology is democratizing environmental data, but the challenge remains in translating that data into tangible public health improvements.
_______________ Air Quality From Kampala to cities across Africa, Makerere University's affordable sensors are making air pollution measurable. But can better data drive the action needed to make the air safer? writes Gerald Tenywa. Maria Namutebi knows when the air in Kawempe is polluted before any monitoring device confirms it. When she steps out of her small shelter, Kampala's traffic, noise and exhaust fumes surround her. The single mother of two sometimes struggles to breathe, but she cannot remain indoors. Her children need food, and she must brave the streets to earn a living. "I know what good air is because I run short of breath when I am exposed to pollution," Namutebi says. "I never understood how important clean air was until I started falling sick." Near her home, a small air-quality sensor measures what Namutebi cannot see: pollutants in the air she breathes.
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