UNEP platform updated to provide real-time data on age groups most exposed to poor air quality
Responding to the recent UN resolution on the right to a healthy environment, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with Swiss technology company IQAir, has made significant updates to the world’s largest air quality data platform.
The big data platform, first launched in February 2020, now identifies which age groups are exposed to bad air at any given hour, in a country.
The update reveals the dynamic nature of air pollution, while at the same time drawing attention to which national population age groups are most affected by air pollution throughout the day. It recomputes estimates every hour. For instance, in South Africa, young adults (ages 20-39) are most exposed to air pollution while in China, older adults (ages 40-59) are most exposed.
