Air quality: Have the lockdowns affected the air quality in Casablanca?
By Hind Dahnou and Houria Essoufi
The lockdowns in Morocco have lowered air pollution in Casablanca, an analysis finds.
Morocco, as any other country, was affected by Covid-19. The first case was recorded on the 2rd of March, 2020. 39 cases and 1 death followed.
To prevent the spread of the pandemic and preserve the health and safety of Moroccan citizens, Moroccan authorities have decided to declare a “state of health emergency” and taken a set of rapid and strict measures against Covid-19. All Moroccan cities were locked down, and the majority of industrial and commercial activities have been forced to stop their activities until further notice.
How concerned should we be about air pollution and COVID-19?
WHO’s Dr. Maria Neira said: “ We are very concerned, because air pollution – as probably many people know by now – represents 7 million premature deaths caused every year due to the exposure of air pollution.” She added: “We need to make sure that this double burden is tackled in a very important way, addressing as well the causes of air pollution.”
During the lockdown the streets of our cities were deserted. We hardly see any planes in the sky and no car sounds that shock people in the morning; it has been replaced by the chirping of birds. Even human activity has slowed down, offering a little break to nature. Many people were amazed to see videos and Photography of Cities known to be the most polluted in Morocco like Casablanca.
Air quality data shows that this as a result brought a positive impact on our environment which includes the decrease in air pollution because of the less carbon guzzling planes flying in the sky as well as less fuel burned by cars driven on the road. Morocco’s Secretary of State for Sustainable Development Nezha El Ouafi said that the economic cost of air pollution in Morocco is estimated at 1.62 percent of the country’s GDP.
There were many awareness campaigns that aim to preserve the air quality and call for reducing toxic gases produced by factories before the coronavirus pandemic, but fortunately the factories stopped working in the period of lockdowns. Morocco, like the rest of the world, celebrates World Environment Day, which this year was chosen as the slogan “Fight air pollution” through a series of communication and awareness activities throughout June at the central and regional level. These activities include organizing meetings and seminars, hygiene campaigns, and broadcasting news and awareness programmes on radio and television channels.
The air has become healthier during the lockdown. Many air pollutants decreased: The Air quality index, as well as PM and NO2 values became better.
We have analyzed data about AQI, PM10 and NO2 in Casablanca from last year and the current year 2020 in the period of quarantine, we have compared their averages from March until June of the both years by using “ Air Matters “ website and application.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is used for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. Air pollution can cause both short term and long term effects on health.
PM10 and NO2 are very common air pollutants in urban environments and various studies have demonstrated their severe health-related problems like respiratory and cardiovascular disorders, blood pressure, and lung cancer.
PM stands for Particulate Matter. PM2.5 and PM10 are minute particles present in the air and exposure to it is very harmful for health. When the level of these particles increases and penetrate deeply into the lungs, you can experience a number of health impacts like breathing problems, burning or sensation in the eyes etc.
Nitrogen Dioxide ( NO2 ) is one of a group of highly reactive gases known as oxides of nitrogen. It primarily gets in the air from the burning of fuel that comes out of cars, trucks and buses, power plants, and off-road equipment. NO2 also interacts with water, oxygen and other chemicals in the atmosphere to form acid rain.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines in Morocco has also announced a significant reduction in air pollution and the improvement of air quality during the country’s state of emergency to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Different studies indicate that COVID-19 has a greater degree of aggressiveness when the air is polluted, although the number of studies is limited. Based on data from the United States it has found that a small increase in long-term exposure to PM2.5 leads to an increase in the death rate of COVID-19. The results of this study underscore the importance of continuing to enforce air pollution regulations to protect human health during and after the COVID-19 crisis.