Air pollution in East Africa: urbanization and inequalities

Speaker: Francis Pope, University of Birmingham

Part of the Africa Talks Seminar Series Autumn 2018.

Talks are held in the Danford Room, 2nd floor, Arts Building (R16 on the campus map). 
All welcome. 

• Full seminar programme

Abstract

This talk will discuss the DFID funded “A Systems Approach to Air Pollution (ASAP) – East Africa” project. The project brings together leading UK and East African researchers in air pollution, urban planning, economic geography, public health, social science, and international development studies to provide a framework for improved air quality management in three East African cities: Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Kampala (Uganda), and Nairobi (Kenya). In particular, the talk will investigate the causes and effects of air pollution, and how these causes and effects are unequally distributed amongst the population. The presentation will also discuss interdisciplinarity in practise and how best to leverage optimal results from a team spanning four of the five University of Birmingham colleges.  

Speaker biography

Francis Pope is a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Birmingham.  He is expert on the causes and effects of atmospheric pollution. He recently held a Birmingham Fellowship which allow outstanding, high potential researchers to establish world leading research groups. His group work on a range of problems associated with atmospheric science and environmental health.  He works on air quality issues worldwide from Birmingham’s clean air zone to dust pollution in Ethiopia. He provides policy directed research for the Department for International Development (DFID), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Transport Scotland, and the Department for Transport. Furthermore, he is an editor for the prominent ‘Atmospheric Measurement Techniques’ journal and a convener for the largest European environmental conference (EGU) which attracts over 15000 delegates. He leads the DFID funded project 'A Systems Approach to Air Pollution (ASAP) East Africa', which is investigating urban air pollution in Addis Ababa, Kampala and Nairobi using an interdisciplinary approach.