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Against the backdrop of the continued presence of soot in the atmosphere, a non-governmental organization in Rivers State, the Rivers Network of NGOs (RINNGOS), has launched an air quality tracker app and website, as well as an advocacy campaign, in a bid to ensure cleaner air in the state.
In a series of activities, tagged, ‘Climate Action for Sustainability and Environmental Protection (CASE) in Rivers State: Launch of Air Quality Tracker Website and Advocacy Campaign,’ which featured a press conference in Port Harcourt on Monday, RINNGOS’ chief operations officer, Dr Mina Ogbanga, pointed out the devastating impact of soot on residents of Rivers State.
“Problem analysis basically recognises that citizens and residents of Rivers State are exposed to alarming impact of climate change especially, concentrations of black soot that compromise their respiratory health, especially pregnant women, children and the elderly.
“According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution constitutes the largest among all of the environmental risks: 3 million annual deaths are associated with air pollution.
“Our series of activities are dedicated to creating a #ZeroSoot Rivers State as well as dedicated to the goal of greening every education policy and curriculum to ensure that every learner is equipped with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes to tackle climate change and promote sustainable development,” she said.
Dr Ogbanga noted that “today’s event is also an opportunity for RINNGOS and partners to join the global call to restoring the earth called Earth day,” adding that clean air is not “an optional policy objective. It’s a fundamental human right. Everyone needs to breathe clean air. That billions of people today are breathing dirty, deadly air constitutes a global health, environmental and human rights crisis.
“Dirty air is causing a global public health crisis. Every minute, a child dies of illness caused by air pollution. Every minute, ten adults die, prematurely, because of dirty air inhaled during their lifetime; the total, at least five million deaths annually.
“So far, as part of the CASE project, RINNGOS has advocated for clean air legislation, establishing air quality monitoring networks; quantifying the main sources of air pollution through our baseline research; engaging and informing the public through our advocacy; enacting strong laws, regulations, and air quality standards through our legislative and policy advocacy; and developing a national action plan to achieve the standards through the CASE action plan,” she said.
RINNGOS’ chief operations officer further said that one way to measure air quality is through fine particulate matter called PM2.5. “These tiny particles enter the air from many human and natural sources, such as dust and vehicle exhaust, and can make the air appear hazy when at high levels. Particles can travel vast distances, meaning air pollution caused in one place may transcend borders to impact people in another region altogether,” she said.
The air quality app seeks to track these pollutants, by analyzing and recording air particles in the 23 local government areas of Rivers State and transmitting data gotten to local and global researchers and users, even residents of the state, through its website and app.
Already, seven of such trackers have been deployed in three LGAs of the state. These include Gokana, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor LGAs.
Dr. Ogbanga said the goal is to ensure air quality trackers are deployed to all the local councils in the state.
“The project seeks to provide an air quality tracker, access to quality app, a mini-documentary that documented #sootstories and a robust set of researches qualitative and quantitative. All these will serve as foundational data that will help inform effective advocacy.
“In addition to serving as a call to action, our activities are geared to foster education and public awareness, training, public access to information and participation in climate change action.
“At the end of today we expect all policy actors to join and commit to the call to action to protecting and preserving our air, passage of the Climate Change Bill, asserting to the Soot bill, ensuring a gender action plan and setting up of clubs across all local government areas among others,” Dr. Ogbanga said.
Among state and local government officials present at the event was the chairman of the state House of Assembly Committee on Environment, Hon. Dumle Maol.
Hon. Maol, represented by his SA, Mr. Clinton Johnson, commended RINNGOS for taking on the initiative to push for improved air quality in Rivers State.
He said the state administration, actively supported by the House of Assembly, prioritizes the commitment to a better and cleaner air in the state, while noting the negative impact of pollution on the economy and health of citizens.
He urged citizens to partner with government in making improved and cleaner air and atmosphere a reality in the state.
