Recent articles in African Business and Inter Press Service highlighted SEI’s work in air quality monitoring, drawing attention to the high levels of air pollution in Africa.
Photo: Suee Generis/Pixabay
Inter Press Service cited a joint study by the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) and Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) that revealed serious air pollution in Dar es Salaam. Real-time data from 14 air quality stations, collected from May 2021 to February 2022, showed levels of major air pollutants (PM2.5 and PM10) exceeded the guidelines by World Health Organization (WHO). At their peak, daily PM2.5 levels reached 130 µg/m³, eight times the WHO limit.
Commenting on the findings of the study, SEI’s Jacqueline Senyagwa highlighted the public health risks associated with air pollution and emphasized the importance of stronger monitoring systems and enforcement.
The African Business reported that most of South Africa’s air quality monitoring stations are not working, leaving large gaps in data on dangerous pollutants. Of 130 stations nationwide, only 44 were fully operational in July 2025, while nearly half were offline. However, South Africa still has better monitoring capacity than most African countries.
Recognizing the need to address air pollution in Africa, SEI’s Ngongang Wandji Danube Kirt highlighted the need for stakeholders to build air quality monitoring infrastructure throughout Africa.
Project / This project will build scientific evidence and knowledge platforms for urban air quality and climate resilience.
Event on 22 June – 26 June in Pretoria / SEI and CCAC are hosting an in-person hands-on training workshop 22–26 June in Pretoria on SEI's LEAP software for climate and clean air planning in Africa.
Event on 28 May / Drawing on a decade of AgriFoSe2030 experience we will zoom in on change, successes and lessons from Uganda’s dairy sector.
Media coverage / SEI’s Alphayo Lutta emphasizes that one way Kenya can reduce its vulnerability to global oil disruptions is to give greater attention to its bioeconomy.
