South Africa, Kenya and Sweden in joint research on air pollution in the school environment

IVL is participating in a four-year Formas project on air quality in Kenya and South Africa. The research will focus primarily on the air environment for children aged 13-15 years.

Poor air quality and poverty are two closely interlinked challenges in Africa, especially in urban areas with heavy traffic, road dust, garbage fires and industries. Half of the population living in poverty in Africa are children, and poor air quality has negative effects on children's health.

A key to improving children's air environment is knowledge and awareness. This multidisciplinary project involves researchers, officials and the civil society in Kenya, South Africa, and Sweden. In collaboration with municipalities and schools, the project will engage pupils with both education kits and active participation in mapping air pollution in the neighborhood.

An important goal of the project is to clarify the information pathways from knowledge production to implementation of measures. The project will also carry out a number of measurement campaigns and surveys to supplement the current air data.

The project builds on the results of for example the LoV-IoT and Nordic Path projects.