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Researchers at the Mugogo Climate Change Observatory station in Nyabihu District, have said that emissions from vehicles, use of firewood and charcoal contribute an estimated 80 per cent of air pollution in Rwanda.
"Our estimation is that gases emitted from vehicles contribute 40 percent, the same as burning firewood and charcoals. The remaining 20 percent comes from other causes including industries," said Jimmy Gasore, chief scientist at the station.
He added that during the summer, air pollution is higher than during rainy seasons.
The climate change observatory site is set up at the 2,540m peak of Mount Mugogo, where researchers measure the level of climate change in the East and Central African region.
One of the gasses that are measured at the station is ozone (O3), a greenhouse gas that can cause cancer when inhaled and has also been linked to reduction crop production.
Normally, the daily average amount of ozone in air is 30 particles per one billion particles of air, scientists say; the more ozone in the atmosphere, the more dangerous it becomes.
"For instance, when there are 80 particles of ozone in one billion particles of air, that is a dangerous and an alarming amount of gas. Policymakers need to take serious measures to reduce it," Gasore said.
Recommended measures
The best measures to mitigate climate change are reducing vehicle emissions and the use of firewood and charcoals, scientists say.
"One country can limit its emissions, but the impacts of climate change can be mitigated when countries work together," Dr Gasore said. "That is why there are the Montreal Protocol, amended in Kigali, and the Paris Climate Agreement."
He said policy makers should encourage people to use public transport and shift from firewood and charcoal to cooking gas as a source of energy to reduce these emissions.
The climate change observatory project was introduced in 2011 through partnership between the Government of Rwanda and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Researchers and scientists at the station have access to high quality instruments, including Medusa System, rarely found in Africa.
"Having the station is a great honor, because Rwanda and South Africa are the only countries in Africa with high-end instruments used to measure the impact of climate change," said Jean de Dieu Ndikubwimana, the coordinator of the climate change observatory project, which is managed by the Ministry of Education.
With an annual budget of Rwf20 million, the Mugogo Climate Change Observatory is part of a larger project which will be built on Mount Kalisimbi, to train Rwandans in atmospheric and climate sciences.