Monitoring and Evaluation of Air Quality: A Case Study of Mogadishu, Somalia

The long lasting civil war in Somalia and the limited functionality of the Mogadishu based government for over the last 20 years have had negative implications on both the environment and public health majorly through air pollution. The absence of strong laws or legislations concerning access and use of different natural resources has severe consequences on the entire Somalia population as a whole. This study was aimed at assessing the level of air quality in Mogadishu, Somalia. The focus of the assessment was to carefully document the prevailing environmental health situation or air quality in the selected districts of Mogadishu mostly concerning the areas of sanitation and hygiene, industrial pollution and energy as well as air quality as a whole. A descriptive observational study was undertaken in the seven selected Mogadishu of districts to assess the level of air quality and the overall environmental health situation in the area. A sample of 10 commercial areas was used for each district, and both PM2.5 and PM 10 devices were installed, and each areawas checked three times (7:00Am.) (12:00PM) and (3:00PM) values were entered in Excel 2019. The level of pollution in all areas of the study are very healthy state. Except the Hodan district in which there is moderate to high level of pollution followed by Yaqshid and Heliwa. However; in Somalia the air pollution is not a national issues as compared the Neighboring countries. Although our study season may have impact on overall study results due to the winter season we suggest that need for further study in the different seasons to expose the hidden factors that minimize the level of pollution.