“Data for Good” in Côte d’Ivoire
An OpenAQ Community Impact Story by Matt Lane
Côte d’Ivoire on Africa’s west coast is home to more than 30 million people and is known for, among other things, its love of soccer (the national team’s nickname is The Elephants), being the world’s top producer of cocoa beans, and its beautiful rainforests rich with biodiversity (Figure 1 below).
Air Pollution — a Silent Killer in Côte d’Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire’s economy is relatively strong, evidenced by having the second-highest GDP per capita in West Africa. [1] Yet, at the same time, the country faces significant health challenges and life expectancy is among the world’s lowest at 63.3 years. [2] Key health issues include pre-term birth complications, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and cardio-vascular diseases. Sitting at the top of the list as the leading causes of premature death is lower respiratory infections at more than 18,000 mortalities per year. [2] A major underlying factor for this high rate of fatal lung infections (in addition to causing other diseases such as stroke, heart disease, and asthma) is the invisible killer–air pollution.
AQ54: a “Data For Good” Social Impact Project
I recently sat down with a team from data354 Côte d’Ivoire, an AI/data consultancy firm, to learn more about what they are doing to help address this epidemic in Côte d’Ivoire. data354’s mission is to promote economic and social development in Africa via technological innovation. Beyond their day-to-day AI consultancy business, the company sponsors several “Data for Good” social impact projects which use technology to improve living conditions in Africa.
One such project is AQ54, which seeks to address the air quality data gap in Côte d’Ivoire and, longer term, across all 54 African countries (hence the name AQ54). I talked to Therence Temfack, Gabriel Fonlladosa, Patricia Yoman, and Julie Delpui from data354, and met with Dr. Sylvain Gnamian, an Atmospheric Sciences Researcher, who is an extended member of the team (Figure 2 below).
The Air Pollution Challenge in Cote d’Ivoire
Dr. Gnamian has been helping the AQ54 team calibrate the data from the new network of low-cost air-sensors deployed across Abidjan. He has also been part of research teams that have published some of the most in-depth studies on air pollution in Côte d’Ivoire. They found that the average daily concentrations of PM2.5 levels were up to 30 times higher than WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines at their monitoring sites in the cities of Abidjan (155 µg/m³ average) and Korhogo (77 µg/m³ average). [3] Dr. Gnamian explains that the studies also outline the key sources and seasonal impacts of pollution: “We found that the top two drivers of pollution were road traffic and wood-stove cooking. These domestic fires are the top issue in Korhogo which is a mid-sized city with less cars and urbanization versus in Abidjan. We also observed that pollution was much worse in the dry season starting in December due to increased winds and dust.” (Figure 3 and 4 below). [4]
The team at data354 sees addressing air pollution in Côte d’Ivoire as complex and multi-faceted. Making progress requires increased public awareness, more government action, and improved public/private collaboration. Therence describes the challenge, “There is low overall awareness, which makes government funding and regulations difficult to achieve given the constrained budget and other political priorities.” Further, the team highlights how it is hard to break this logjam of inaction due to the lack of data. Therence continues, “We have very limited air quality data and monitoring, making it difficult to shift public and government perceptions. As a data and AI company, this is where we believe we can make a big difference.”
AQ54: Addressing the Air Quality Data Gap in Côte d’Ivoire
AQ54’s first phase will be to provide the first complete, real-time air pollution map of Abidjan via a network of low-cost air quality sensors. This data will, in turn, be disseminated to key decision-makers and the public to raise awareness and build momentum towards concrete clean air legislation. Collaboration is a key tenet of the project. Therence explains, “We are breaking down silos and moving forward together. The project includes a diverse task-force, including the Ministers of the Environment and Health, researchers from the university, local authorities from the Abidjan Autonomous District, and NGOs [non-government agencies], including the WHO.”
AQ54’s deployments are supported by a grant from EPIC (the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago), and the team has successfully deployed 18 Quanta-produced AirQino outdoor monitors in Abidjan to date. The team has developed a corresponding open visualization platform where users can sign up to be alerted when PM2.5 levels exceed 30 µg/m³ (Figure 5 below).
Gabriel describes their innovative approach of deploying the sensors at local pharmacies (Figure 6 below). “Pharmacies tend to have electricity 24x7 with backup generators and increased security, which keeps the hardware safe. We also train the pharmacists to interpret the data. The pharmacists can then educate and advise local citizens on what to do on hazardous air quality days.”
Gabriel goes on to explain that, moving forward, the team is planning on leveraging the company’s AI expertise to build a predictive air pollution model for the region. “We are working with our research contacts at the university to build a ground sensor plus satellite AI model. This model will allow us to more accurately forecast and predict while expanding the coverage area. All of this will help inform decision-makers, stakeholders, and the public at large.”
And, importantly, all of the new sensor data is fully open and available on OpenAQ, the world’s largest open air quality data set (Figure 7 below). “We see great value in OpenAQ with its open API access. The platform increases awareness, allows for international usage, boosts our credibility, and supports our long-term vision of expanding the project to all 54 African nations,” Therence says.
A Private Company Making a Big Impact
I was heartened to meet the team and learn about AQ54’s creative approach of deploying air sensors at local pharmacies. It highlighted to me the tremendous impact and potential for the private sector to make a difference in the fight for clean air. It is exciting to see data354 taking a leadership role and delivering, as they call it, “Data for Good.” Building the country’s first nationwide network of sensors is quite an accomplishment and a critical first step forward towards reducing the devastating impact of air pollution in Côte d’Ivoire.
Sources
1. International Monetary Fund, “World Economic Outlook database: October 2023”
2. World Health Organization, Côte d’Ivoire Health Dashboard
3. Reducing PM 2.5 seasonal concentration in urban areas could reduce the number of hospital admissions in Cote d’Ivoire. Kouame Kouadio, Sylvain Konan S’douffou Gnamien, Constant Konan, and Veronique Yoboué.
4. Chemical characterization of urban aerosols in Abidjan and Korhogo (Côte d’Ivoire) from 2018 to 2020 and the identification of their potential emission sources. Sylvain Gnamien, Cathy Liousse, Sékou Keita, Siélé Silué, Julien Bahino, Eric Gardrat, Mohamed Kassamba-Diaby, Arsène Ochou, and Véronique Yoboué.
