Rwanda: Evaluation of Community Knowledge on Air Pollution

Air pollution impacts on human health and causes respiratory infectious diseases (cough, influenza, headaches and asthma), and effects on the environment, including global warming and climate change. Some air pollution risk-reduction measures are being imposed, including cleaner transport, energy-efficient housing, better municipal waste management, reduction of household coal use and reduction of CO2 sources (Park et al., 2010; Khan et al., 2014; Anenberg et al., 2012). In 2014, about 92 percent of the world's population was living in places where the World Health Organization guidelines on air quality standards were not being met. The community approach - that is, early and appropriate information sharing - would help to clarify the sources and extent of air pollution, and build a consensus on the priorities to be undertaken for risk reduction.