Joining Forces to Spread Awareness about Air Pollution

Professor Najat Saliba exposes air pollution

Students from several Lebanese universities pledged to raise awareness about air pollution after an AUB-led study found that pollution levels in all major Lebanese cities exceed acceptable standards.

Acting within the framework of a project launched by the Association for Forests, Development, and Conservation (AFDC), students from more than ten universities met at AUB on July 15 and discussed the results of a research study conducted by AUB's Atmospheric Chemistry Group, which is led by chemistry Professor Najat Saliba.

In 2007, AFDC launched a project that was funded by the United Nations Development Programme to set priorities with respect to environmental problems. More than 120 university students had participated in that initiative, coming out with a "Youth Declaration on Environmental Policies" on four main topics: air pollution, waste, water and sewage, and land management.

Of the initial participants, at least forty of them committed to follow up on the project. They came from several Lebanese universities, including AUB, University Saint Joseph, the Lebanese American University, the Lebanese University, Balamand University, and the Beirut Arab University. In the process, students were given the opportunity to participate in workshops on communication skills, leadership, planning, and conflict resolution.

As part of the first phase of their initiative, the students decided to work on air pollution. The result was the launch of a USAID-funded project titled, "Towards the Implementation of the Youth Declaration for the Environment: Air Pollution Levels in Major Urban Lebanese Cities." The project involved collecting air pollution data from Beirut, Tripoli, Sidon, and Chtaura over a period of three months.

Air pollution measurements revealed a disturbing scenario. Air samples from Beirut, Tripoli, and Sidon were found to exceed the maximum acceptable international levels for air pollution by almost 10 units, whereas Chtaura's air pollution level stood at the upper acceptable limit. As for the acceptable limit for particulate matter in the air, which is set at 15-25 micrograms per cubic meter, the Beirut, Tripoli, and Sidon readings exceeded 32 micrograms per cubic meter.

Based on the collected data, the students created an air pollution map, which they will use to raise awareness in their own communities about the problem and to contact decision-makers in the government in order to start lobbying for change.

"This is an excellent start," said Sawsan Bou Fakhreddine, AFDC's director general. "Student enthusiasm was impressive. Of course, the road is still long, but if we manage to achieve awareness about air pollution, we'll feel we have achieved a lot."