Every district will have air quality monitoring stations by the end of 2025, according to Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA). According to REMA, currently, there 16 operating air quality monitoring stations in 13 districts. The plan is to set up at least 26 more stations in other districts countrywide. ALSO READ: Experts reflect on new vehicle testing scheme “Assessments are being done to choose which areas the stations will be set up in, as some districts will have more than one station due to these assessments. But all districts will have air monitoring stations providing real-time data by the end of the year,” a REMA statement said. Research in the past showed that vehicle emissions are the leading source of air pollution in Kigali. Other contributors to poor air quality in Rwanda include the industrial emissions, charcoal cookstoves and agricultural waste burning. ALSO READ: Rwandans urged to double efforts in combating rising air pollution Different measurements showed that the dry season showed higher pollutant levels than other seasons, according to REMA, which recommended using public transport, carpooling, or cycling, planting trees, disposing of waste properly, stopping open burning, maintaining vehicles to reduce emissions, and using and advocating for clean energy sources. ALSO READ: Rwanda acquires new air quality monitoring system Deborah Nibagwire, an Air Quality Specialist at REMA, said that rapid population growth, especially in urban and suburban areas, has led to increased air pollutants due to heightened human activities. “These pollutants pose serious public health risks, contributing to cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, and various respiratory illnesses,” she explained. Nibagwire noted that air pollution is particularly dangerous for children and the elderly, adding that most pollutants are still below national air quality limits. However, pollutant concentrations tend to increase during the dry season, with higher levels recorded during rush hours and lower levels observed at night. MP Egide Nkuranga, who is also an environmental specialist, stressed the urgency of tackling rising air pollution levels in Rwanda. The lawmaker said: “First of all, Rwanda is in the red, meaning it is among countries that have cities suffering from polluted air. Research has shown that motorcycles, especially petrol-powered ones due to their extensive use, significantly emit air pollutants. “The government has a responsibility to protect its citizens. Studies indicate there have been deaths caused by breathing polluted air, necessitating regulatory measures to curb air pollution.” Since 2017, government has been implementing an air quality and climate change monitoring project. The project’s objectives were to establish an air quality monitoring network system so as to continuously monitor and report air quality index around the country and to enhance the existing climate observatory in order to improve the understanding of local emissions related to climate change. Rwanda has a long-term goal to be a carbon neutral nation as articulated in its Vision 2050. In the short term, the country aims to reduce emissions by 38% by 2030. Electric vehicles are estimated to represent 9% of potential energy-related emissions mitigated under the country’s climate action plan (NDC). Last year, the government renewed a zero-rated import duty on electric and hybrid vehicles, extending the tax exemption until the end of the new fiscal year 2024/25. The decision was designed to accelerate the transition to electric cars and motorcycles and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The government first initiated a zero-rated import duty on electric vehicles (EVs) in April 2021, as it stepped up efforts to encourage uptake of EVs and investment in the budding sub-sector.
