Uganda is set to launch the National Standards and Regulations for Air quality as the country commemorates the air quality week under the theme “Knowing your air to Protect Human Health and the Environment’’,National Environmental Management Authority (Nema) Executive Director Dr. Barirega Akankwasah has said.
The purpose of Air Quality Awareness Week is to raise public awareness about the importance of air quality to human health and environment and what we can do to continuously improve air quality around us.
Barirega says Air pollution, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and tropospheric ozone and their precursors, is the leading environmental risk to human health, with 99% of people worldwide exposed to air pollution levels that exceed the WHO guidelines.
According to World Health Organization data, Air pollution is associated with 6.7 million premature deaths annually. Annual malaria death stands at 608,000 people (2022), HIV annual death is 630,000 (2022), road accidents account for 1.19Mn deaths (2022), annual battle related deaths accounts for 526,000 deaths (2022). Covid 19 killed 6.9 Million people and the global attention completely shifted from economics and politics to Covid 19. Why should the world not pay attention to Air Pollution that is killing 6.7Mn people globally?
“It is quite clear that Air quality related death is unrivaled by any other known cause of death in every single year at Global Scale, yet the attention and investment in Air Pollution Control remains minimal if at all. In Uganda, compromised air quality increases disease burden with close to 31,600 people dying from air pollution-related diseases annually especially in urban areas, “he said.
Studies on sources of pollution conducted in Kampala City revealed that transport is the leading cause of air pollution followed by domestic and biomass burning. Other sources of air pollution are industrial emissions and dust released from un tarmacked roads.
“Our Air quality monitoring data especially around Kampala indicate an increase in air pollution from an annual average of 39.5µg/m3 in 2019 to 41 µg/m3 in 2024. This is about eight times above the annual average recommended guideline of 5 µg/m3, by the World Health Organization (WHO). This therefore means that our air is increasingly getting polluted and we must take deliberate measures to address the factors causing the pollution,”Barirega stressed.
To address this rather very bad situation, Barirega says government has come up with national Standards and Regulations for Air quality and tree planting as measures to address air pollution challenges.
According to Nema National forest cover has improved from 9.5% to now 13.3% and 1.9Million Ha of forest now.
Barirega encouraged all people living in Uganda to green their compounds, farmlands, land boundaries, pathways, road reserves, school compounds, name it.
He added that all industries will be required to install scrubbers, electrostatic precipitators and fabric filters to reduce industrial emissions.
Industries will also be required to install automated air quality monitors that transmit data automatically to the central database. Industries that will emit above allowable standards will require permits and will be required to pay for excess emissions. This way, industries that use green technologies will save money and those using old technologies will have to be penalized. After the grace period, certain technologies will be declared banned in line with the regulations.
On addressing vehicular pollution,-We shall restrict engine technologies and age in line with the new standards, encourage timely servicing of vehicles, ensuring good quality of fuel.
“I Call upon all Citizens and People living in Uganda, Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Private Sector and Civil Society Fraternity to embrace the above interventions for us to effectively tackle the escalating problem of air pollution in our country,”
David Luyimbaazi Deputy Executive Director Kcca said Kcca will install 100 air quality monitors in Kampala to address air pollution problems.
” We shall promote electric motor bikes in Kampala,Stream line boda boda operations in Kampala to reduce air quality pollution and work with stakeholders to create awareness about air quality pollution.
Makerere University Lungi Institute Dr Rebecca Nantanda said Air we breath in Uganda is not safe.
“We are all at risk in Uganda especially Children in urban settings are more affected.They experience low lung functions due air pollution,”
She said.
