New Providence Environmentalists to Launch Air Quality Monitoring Projects

New Providence is the most populated island in the Bahamas. And now, residents are putting it on the map for an entirely different reason: their quest against air pollution.  

Many locals have expressed disillusionment with the Bahamian government, which is accused of neglecting to monitor and control pollution. But a local environmental group, known as Raise Awareness about the Bahamas Landfill (RABL), has taken matters into their own hands by launching a series of monitoring surveys across New Providence. 

How are plans put into action?

RABL’s plans include the use of portable air monitoring equipment across 15 different locations. They aim to collate measurements of pollutants in the air, including carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, lead and particulate matter, detecting airborne particles as small as 0.5 micron. The group’s major concern is emissions from landfill sites, vehicles and cruise ships - which are the main causes of air pollution on the island.

Once the monitoring equipment is in place, local volunteers will collect data before it is published each week on the RABL website. In New Providence and the Bahamas there are no national air quality standards, so the group plans to use the US Air Quality Index as a baseline.

Positive change

The community-driven RABL project is certainly inspirational. The exercise is proactive in both educating residents and driving positive change. Local people are taking ownership of their environment in an informed, scientific way - pushing momentum for wider governmental policy.

Air pollution is a major concern across the globe for communities and entire nations. Poor air quality runs the risk of damaging our environment as well as threatening our health - particularly with respiratory diseases.

The question of health is a major concern for residents in New Providence. According to The World Health Organization (WHO), 6.3 million deaths every year are caused directly by air pollution. As a comparison, AIDS kills 1.7 million and malaria kills 660,000 every year. The statistics certainly put the problem into context in an alarming way.

Laura Paine, attorney and co-founder of RABL, said: “Now more than ever, it is increasingly important to be proactive in reducing these emissions to acceptable levels to protect ourselves and the environment from the adverse effects of air pollution.”

RABL’s monitoring projects follow on from the success of ‘Breathe Better Bahamas’, a demonstration held in the capital Nassau in April 2015.

For more information about air quality monitoring worldwide read this article, Realising a New Approach to Air Quality Monitoring.