International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) |Volume VII, Issue IX, September 2022|ISSN 2454-6194
Monitoring and Evaluation of Air Quality: A Case Study of Mogadishu, Somalia
Abdulshakur AbdullahiDiiso, Mohamed M. Garas, Abdisalam Abdullahi Adan*, Nur Rashid Ahmed*
Research Fellow, Jamhuriye University of Science and Technology, Somalia;Department of engineering ,faculty of civil engineering, Somalia
*Corresponding Author
Abstract: The long lasting civil war in Somalia and the limited functionality of the Mogadishu based government for over the last 20 years have had negative implications on both the environment and public health majorly through air pollution. The absence of strong laws or legislations concerning access and use of different natural resources has severe consequences on the entire Somalia population as a whole. This study was aimed at assessing the level of air quality in Mogadishu, Somalia. The focus of the assessment was to carefully document the prevailing environmental health situation or air quality in the selected districts of Mogadishu mostly concerning the areas of sanitation and hygiene, industrial pollution and energy as well as air quality as a whole. A descriptive observational study was undertaken in the seven selected Mogadishu of districts to assess the level of air quality and the overall environmental health situation in the area.
A sample of 10 commercial areas was used for each district, and both PM2.5 and PM 10 devices were installed, and each areawas checked three times (7:00Am.) (12:00PM) and (3:00PM) values were entered in Excel 2019. The level of pollution in all areas of the study are very healthy state. Except the Hodan district in which there is moderate to high level of pollution followed by Yaqshid and Heliwa. However; in Somalia the air pollution is not a national issues as compared the Neighboring countries. Although our study season may have impact on overall study results due to the winter season we suggest that need for further study in the different seasons to expose the hidden factors that minimize the level of pollution.
Key words: Air quality, PM2.5, PM10, District, Mogadishu, Somalia
I. INTRODUCTION
Air quality has continued to deteriorate globally due to the different environmental or climatic changes influenced by both natural and human factors. The impact of polluted air quality is simply clear as it remains one of the greatest environmental risk for today’s health. Annually around 7 million premature death have been linked to polluted air quality, moreover; air pollution is the 4th leading causes of early death worldwide (Gatari, 2019).
Air Pollution means presence of substances (Particulates, Sulphur oxides, Ozone and other photochemical oxidants, Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen oxides, Air toxics, Lead and other heavy metals) in air at concentrations, durations and frequencies that adversely affect human health, human welfare or the environment. The phenomena of air pollution