By Chris Hagerbaumer, Executive Director, OpenAQ
Governments have a responsibility to address air pollution, a problem so ubiquitous that almost everyone (99% of the world’s population) is breathing unhealthy air.
Air pollution is the second leading risk factor and the greatest threat from outside of the human body that can cause death, cutting lives short by an average of 1.9 years across the globe.
Exposure to air pollution starts in the womb and can be linked to numerous poor health outcomes over a lifetime, as well as impacts on productivity and quality of life.
The burden is unequal, harming babies and young children in particular and residents of lower-income communities and countries where pollution tends to be higher.
Reliable and open data on air pollution are fundamental to understanding and taking corrective action to improve air quality.
These air pollution measurements are relevant not only to governments to improve and track their citizens’ health but also to anyone who breathes in the air. Those who can help solve the problem can use the data when conducting epidemiological studies, determining the sources of pollution, spreading awareness and building forecasting models.
Rather than attempt to solve air pollution in isolation, governments that embrace open data policies can leverage the expertise of others to build more innovative and durable approaches to solving the air pollution crisis.
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One example of an open data-sharing requirement is the EPIC Air Quality Fund.
Ensuring that air quality data is widely accessible and transparently shared is not just a technical necessity – it is a fundamental step toward safeguarding public health and achieving lasting solutions for cleaner air worldwide.