Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology Partners with World Resource Institute on Cleaner Air Project
The Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology (IEET) has partnered with the World Resource Institute (WRI) in a three-year clean air flagship project for Nairobi City.
The project dubbed: “Clean Air Catalyst (CAC)” seeks to save life and solve environmental problems caused by air pollution, in order to improve people’s lives and ensure nature can thrive.
The objective of the partnership is to develop and implement globally applicable approaches as well as advance locally tailored, sustainable solutions for clean air to improve human health and climate change mitigation in cities.
Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, Prof. Robert Kinyua, citing the World health Organization (WHO) said, “air pollution is responsible for over 6 million deaths, globally due to its dire consequences namely, lung cancer, respiratory infections among others.”
Prof. Kinyua said that the academia have a big responsibility to share with people the knowledge they have through proper utilization to save millions of lives.
“We are facing a major challenge due to pollution. More people may face adverse health problems in the future if nothing is done to curb air pollution. We must use the knowledge we have to solve problems and save lives,” he added.
The Clean Air Catalyst project brings together diverse local stakeholders while leveraging global expertise to strengthen awareness on the root causes of air pollution and accelerate implementation of targeted solutions for emission reductions.
Speaking during the event, the Head of Air Quality in Africa at WRI, Dr. George Mwaniki, alluded that the CAC project in Nairobi City County is not only intended to address air quality problems but also bridge the data gaps and conduct source sharing.
“The three-year project will map sources, create inventories as well as develop a-one -stop point where all air quality data can be accessed,” he state.
The Head of Research and Working Group for the three years, Dr. Paul Njogu, a Senior Researcher at IEET, has put together a multi-disciplinary team of researchers drawn from various JKUAT departments to ensure that their research output is not just concrete but top-notch.
The departments are working collectively to guarantee Clean Air Catalyst Project is a success. They include; IEET, College of Health Sciences, Chemistry Department, Mechanical Engineering and Geomatics Engineering and Geospatial Information Systems (GEGIS).
Dr. Mwaniki further said, “The project will benefit to students and the university at large, adding, it will equip JKUAT in areas of air research, offer courses in air pollution and atmospheric sciences, both at undergraduate and postgraduate as well as scholarships for PhD and Masters students, offer attachment and internship to JKUAT students,” he explained.
Present during the function include; Prof. Joseph Kamau (Director IEET), Dr. Fridah Kirimi (GEGIS), Dr. Peter Okech (Mechatronics), Dr. Daniel Omondi (Engineering), Ms. Christine Muthee (Data Analyst at WRI), Dr. Elijah Gumba (Chemistry Department), Ms. Purity Muthoni (IEET) and Mr. Vitalis Opondo (Assistant Registrar at IEET).