Signal 3: Green Horizons : Clean Air Project

According to World Health Organization 6.5 million deaths per year can be attributed to air pollution. The poor air quality has adversely affected the climate as well public health.

Air quality and pollution levels have been monitored for decades by governments to keep a check on greenhouse gas emissions. But now with Big Data and Internet of Things it is possible to measure, monitor and predict air quality in real time. The availability of terrain data from satellites and maps makes the big data models localized as well.

IBM has partnered with cities with pressing pollution crisis like Beijing and New Delhi to predict air pollution and also identify its major sources by training models. The data used includes sensor data, satellite data and geographical information. It also helps city agencies estimate the impact of scenarios like building a power generation site or changing the traffic flow on the air quality.

A lot of factors can contribute to air pollution levels and sometimes location is one of them. The above initiative takes all the sources into account and has helped cities reduce suspended particulate matter which is a major pollutant. Next steps can be to model scenarios to identify feasibility of renewable energy sources.

Source: https://www.consultancy.uk/news/3141/ibm-brings-green-horizons-to-delhi-clean-air-project