Page 37 - U4SSC Simple ways to be smart

Low-cost monitoring networks could help to identify emission sources and the most affected
segments of the population, in places where air quality control was never in place and enable
cities to experiment with interventions to improve the air quality. Air pollution impacts on human
health could be estimated by using tools recommended by the WHO. The interdisciplinary use of
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these data may generate valuable information for lobbying, serving to demonstrate the necessity
for policies aimed at sustainable development of their cities. The data can also be used to raise
awareness among local businesses and residents.

Keys to success

Most cities are unlikely to have the expertise to design and implement an air quality monitoring
program. The choice of sensors, where to locate them, and how to interpret the data collected, all
require expert knowledge. Companies that produce low-cost sensors are not, at present, regulated.
Cities need the advice of technical experts to ensure that they buy products that work as they claim.

Consequently, this kind of intervention has to take place in collaboration with local scientists and
researchers. Cities that have strong existing relationships with such experts will find the project
simpler to initiate. This provides an excellent opportunity for cities to work with local universities
and schools. Engaging more people increases the data collected and raises interest in air quality.

Studies show that low-cost sensors are unstable and often affected by atmospheric conditions. For
this reason, the scientific community must be strongly linked to these projects so that they can guide
the city on the meaning of the data. At this point, low-cost sensors are a good tool to detect hot
spots and the temporal and spatial trend of pollutants in a city. They are inadequate for replacing
more comprehensive and formal monitoring.

Once in place, the sensors will return data immediately, however, reporting on the data and deciding
what it means and what can be done with it may take some time. Cities should plan for a one-year
project to see useful results communicated through a website.

Case 4: The role of informal waste collectors

The problem

Popayán is a small city located in the southwest of Colombia, with a population of approximately
277 000 inhabitants, according to the 2018 census. From the end of the 1980s, the city began
to recover, on a small scale, usable, recyclable material coming from domestic and commercial
activities. At the end of the 1990s, three organizations dedicated to the recovery of this material had
been consolidated. However, at that time, the city did not have enough collection routes to cover
its entire extent. In addition, many individual recyclers worked independently and disjointedly,
which generated conflicts with these organizations. By not consolidating the recovered materials,
quantities of recovered materials were reduced, preventing the growth of the sector, hampering
business development and under-valuing the work.

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