Air Quality: Monitoring Project Launched

A project aimed at strengthe­ ning Cameroon’s air quality monitoring system has been launched. The project which is in line towards combating air pol­ lution was launched in Douala on July 29. Funded by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) and implemented by the Center for Research in Nuclear Science and Technology (CRSTN) of the Institute of Geological and Mining Research (IRGM), the 18-month initiative seeks to establish a comprehensive air qua­ lity monitoring network in Douala and Yaoundé. The project will deploy eight state of the art Clarity N mini-monitoring stations, four in each city to conti­ nuously measure fine particulate matter (PM2.5), coarse particles (PM10), and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), pollutants known to pose serious health risks. The data collected will be made freely available to resear­ chers, policymakers, local authorities and the public to support evidence based environmental policies and pollution mitigation strategies. While launching the project in Douala on July 29, on behalf of the Director General of IRGM, the Director of the Center for Research in Nuclear Science and Technology, Dr Boniface Kanteu, described air pollution as one of the greatest environmental and public health challenges facing Cameroon. He noted that rapid urbanisation, ve­ hicle emissions, industrial activities, waste burning and other huma...