Combining the Strengths of Multiple Technologies and Health Tools for Better Urban Air Quality Management

We present efforts to integrate satellite and forecast data with existing ground-based observations and improved air quality indices to inform air quality management across cities in South America and Africa. Working with stakeholders in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Quito, Ecuador; Santa Cruz, Bolivia; and Kampala, Uganda, we are co-developing capacities for air quality monitoring, forecasting, and communication of health information to the public. Our work is motivated by the need to address the following gaps and challenges: a) the adverse health risks of air pollutants including their association with mortality and morbidity outcomes, especially in urban areas; 2) increased stakeholder interest in observational data, including satellite imagery and low-cost sensors to support air quality policy and planning; 3) the need for better messaging tools on the risks or air pollution to enable better informed decisions by the public and policy makers.

For our work on the integration of satellite resources, stakeholder collaborations have emerged and matured through a multi-step process. First, initial conversations with stakeholders at local air quality agencies facilitate a common understanding of available NASA resources (satellite, ground based, tailored forecasts) and enable identification of key air quality management needs. Second, webinars tailored to regional needs provide information on specific space-based capabilities for monitoring particulate and trace gas pollutants and examples of their utilization for addressing each city’s specific air quality challenges. For example, in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, transported smoke, a product of biomass burning, is a major contributor to poor air quality between August and September each year. In this case, we have developed case studies showing how satellite observed fire detections, imagery, and column aerosol measurements complement ground-based observations and provide context on how regional smoke events impact urban air quality.

The third step in our stakeholder collaboration approach is the co-development of a specific satellite data analysis capability for integration into the decision-making workflows of the various municipalities. Our primary partners in Bolivia are the University Mayor de San Andrés (La Paz), the University Mayor de San Simón (Cochabamba), and Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza (Santa Cruz). They already work with local and regional government organizations involved in air quality management and have been key players in the multi-step process of stakeholder engagement. We will also discuss our work with air quality managers in the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Quito, where associations of short-term pollution exposures with local respiratory morbidity outcomes are being used to help improve risk communication of the health risks of outdoor air pollution. Finally, we describe our incipient activities with stakeholders in Uganda.

This project is funded under NASA’s Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team.