By: Yusha’u Hamza, Anipr
A Call For Action
Good air quality in an environment friendly city typically has certain attributes that contribute to a healthy, sustainable and environment friendly city, where citizens can breathe easily and enjoy a good quality of life.
These attributes which are now declining in the cosmopolitan city of Kano, have been eroding out for decades, due to human consciousness and subconscious activities of felling trees, direct pollution and environmental non-friendliness of the inhabitants of the city.
For the city of Kano to maintain a positive position and compete favourably with world class cities around the globe, it must maintain low levels of such climatic indices as follows;
Low levels of emitted harmful pollutants, the likes of
Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10) Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Ozone (O3) and
Carbon Monoxide (CO) which are now prevalent. Kano city must also experience the occupation of High level of oxygen (O2) in circulation within space distance in its remote closest atmosphere.
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The city must equally continue to experience low levels of greenhouse gases the likes of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4), With a minimal odor and nuisance pollutants.
However the city visibility must be optimally good through (minimal haze and fog) within its atmosphere (non seasonal). The city must Comply with national and international air quality standards and guidelines, characterised by low levels of air toxics and hazardous air pollutants,
presence of natural air purifiers like trees and green spaces, effective waste management and minimal waste burning and the encouragement of clean energy sources like solar, wind, and hydro power
For over 2 decades now Kano city, the capital of Kano state, is facing an illusioned crisis of deteriorating air quality within its cosmopolitan environment.The once-clear skies the city was known for in the 70s and early 80s are now shrouded in pollution, posing serious health risks to residents.
The Kano ACRESAL World Bank project, aimed at environmental sustainability, must prioritize addressing this issue head-on.
The devastating problem which was caused by air pollution through Vehicular and plant emissions, industrial activities, poor Waste management practices and wood burning, silently affects the city dwellers health conditions, causing serious health hazards like respiratory problems, Cardiovascular diseases and Increased mortality rates.
The Implementation of emission controls, Promoting clean energy sources and enhancing waste management infrastructure, can help the city reclaim itself from degradation, reason for the call to Action.
The Kano state government must remain focused and take immediate action to address the deteriorating air quality in Kano city whose effects may be unnoticed.
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The government should, through Kano ACRESAL a World Bank project, plan a sustainable initiative targeting air quality control, by implementing measures of reducing pollution and ensure a healthier environment for the city residents.
Already the Kano state government, has shown its readiness and commitment to reverse the tide by flagging its robust tree planting campaigns within the state, which will see his excellency the executive governor of the state Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf planting 3 million trees in his first tenure in office, so as to improve the city shelter bed for an enhanced green Kano.
However, sustaining these environmental strides with vigour, will help in not small measure.
The Kano ACRESAL project which is a word bank initiative, can work the talk by initiating special climate change mitigation measures and campaigns towards ensuring Kano city air quality improves to a more accommodative, less dismal and less hazardous yardstick.