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Air Pollution and Urban Green Space : Evidence of Environmental Injustice in Adama, Ethiopia

Flanagan, Erin LU orcid ; Mattisson, Kristoffer LU orcid ; Walles, John LU orcid ; Abera, Asmamaw ; Eriksson, Axel LU orcid ; Balidemaj, Festina LU orcid ; Oudin, Anna LU ; Isaxon, Christina LU and Malmqvist, Ebba LU orcid (2021) In Frontiers in Sustainable Cities 3.
Abstract

While air pollution data in Ethiopia is limited, existing studies indicate high levels of both ambient and household air pollution; rapid urbanization also threatens the preservation of urban green spaces. In this study, environmental injustice, or the disproportionate burden of environmental exposures on persons of lower socioeconomic status (SES), was explored among women in Ethiopia using a mother and child cohort from the city of Adama. Land-use regression models were previously developed for modeling ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) throughout Adama, while household air pollution (cooking fuel type) and the presence of green space were assessed through questionnaires and home visits,... (More)

While air pollution data in Ethiopia is limited, existing studies indicate high levels of both ambient and household air pollution; rapid urbanization also threatens the preservation of urban green spaces. In this study, environmental injustice, or the disproportionate burden of environmental exposures on persons of lower socioeconomic status (SES), was explored among women in Ethiopia using a mother and child cohort from the city of Adama. Land-use regression models were previously developed for modeling ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) throughout Adama, while household air pollution (cooking fuel type) and the presence of green space were assessed through questionnaires and home visits, respectively. The odds of being exposed to these environmental factors were analyzed in association with two SES indicators, education and occupation, using logistic regression. Our results indicate the presence of environmental injustice in Adama, as women with lower SES shouldered a higher burden of air pollution exposure and enjoyed less urban green space than their higher SES counterparts. These findings encourage the prioritization of air quality control and urban planning resources toward policy action within lower SES areas. From a societal perspective, our results also support more upstream interventions, including investment in educational and occupational opportunities. Still, a human rights approach is emphasized, as governments are responsible for protecting the right to a clean environment, especially for those disproportionately exposed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on environmental injustice in Ethiopia, and the first in Sub-Saharan Africa to investigate the inequalities of ambient and household air pollution exposure as well as urban green space access in the same cohort.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
ambient air pollution, environmental injustice, exposure inequality, household air pollution, socioeconomic status, urban green space
in
Frontiers in Sustainable Cities
volume
3
article number
728384
publisher
Frontiers Media S. A.
external identifiers
  • scopus:85123127466
ISSN
2624-9634
DOI
10.3389/frsc.2021.728384
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9df339fb-f5bb-4199-9898-a8d0c75a9de9
date added to LUP
2022-03-23 13:41:00
date last changed
2023-11-16 00:56:08
@article{9df339fb-f5bb-4199-9898-a8d0c75a9de9,
  abstract     = {{<p>While air pollution data in Ethiopia is limited, existing studies indicate high levels of both ambient and household air pollution; rapid urbanization also threatens the preservation of urban green spaces. In this study, environmental injustice, or the disproportionate burden of environmental exposures on persons of lower socioeconomic status (SES), was explored among women in Ethiopia using a mother and child cohort from the city of Adama. Land-use regression models were previously developed for modeling ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>) and nitrogen oxides (NO<sub>x</sub>) throughout Adama, while household air pollution (cooking fuel type) and the presence of green space were assessed through questionnaires and home visits, respectively. The odds of being exposed to these environmental factors were analyzed in association with two SES indicators, education and occupation, using logistic regression. Our results indicate the presence of environmental injustice in Adama, as women with lower SES shouldered a higher burden of air pollution exposure and enjoyed less urban green space than their higher SES counterparts. These findings encourage the prioritization of air quality control and urban planning resources toward policy action within lower SES areas. From a societal perspective, our results also support more upstream interventions, including investment in educational and occupational opportunities. Still, a human rights approach is emphasized, as governments are responsible for protecting the right to a clean environment, especially for those disproportionately exposed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on environmental injustice in Ethiopia, and the first in Sub-Saharan Africa to investigate the inequalities of ambient and household air pollution exposure as well as urban green space access in the same cohort.</p>}},
  author       = {{Flanagan, Erin and Mattisson, Kristoffer and Walles, John and Abera, Asmamaw and Eriksson, Axel and Balidemaj, Festina and Oudin, Anna and Isaxon, Christina and Malmqvist, Ebba}},
  issn         = {{2624-9634}},
  keywords     = {{ambient air pollution; environmental injustice; exposure inequality; household air pollution; socioeconomic status; urban green space}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  publisher    = {{Frontiers Media S. A.}},
  series       = {{Frontiers in Sustainable Cities}},
  title        = {{Air Pollution and Urban Green Space : Evidence of Environmental Injustice in Adama, Ethiopia}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2021.728384}},
  doi          = {{10.3389/frsc.2021.728384}},
  volume       = {{3}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}