As part of their Clean Air Engineering for Homes project, the University of Surrey will launch an investigation into the ways to improve indoor air pollution with eleven Official Development Assistance (ODA) countries to improve indoor air pollution from February 2021.
Globally, indoor air pollution exposure leads to 4.3 million premature deaths annually, according to the World Health Organisation.
Poor ventilation and inefficient cooking methods are more likely to be exposed to those in low-income homes, especially in developing countries.
In an effort to raise awareness of this issue and to ultimately reduce pollution, the University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) will work with partners to create outreach activities, conduct webinars and pilot studies in lower income homes.
To develop strategies that reduce indoor air pollution, the project will collect primary data of aerosol and carbon dioxide emissions across 12 ODA nation cities.
Principal investigator of the project and founding director of GCARE, Professor Prashant Kumar, of the University of Surrey, commented: ‘Our main goal and utmost passion here at GCARE is to strive for a world where clean air is available for all – even in indoor environments. This ideal has become even more critical because of the horrendous COVID-19 crisis.’
Professor David Sampson, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation at the University of Surrey, concluded: ‘We are very proud of the collaborative and truly global work of Professor Kumar and his team at GCARE. Indeed, there are few things more important than the quality of the air we all breathe.’
