Air pollution walk as an impact education tool for air quality sensitization in the global south

Abstract. Air pollution has become a serious matter of concern in the global south and a significant amount of funding has been used to create awareness of air pollution. The conventional method of sensitization relies on workshops where slide-based presentations, images, plots and graphs are shown to the participants. However, sensitization about air quality using such an audio-visual format might not be sufficient to create adequate impact. Here in this study, we propose a new sensitization technique, the pollution walk, where participants and a subject matter expert will walk through different urban micro-environments with live air quality monitor. A pilot involving three such pollution walks with 24 participants were conducted in a south Asian megacity and pre and post-ante survey were conducted. The results indicate a greater sense of understanding among the participants and multidisciplinary nature of the air pollution problem has been well communicated. To understand the long-term impact, a survey after one year has been done which clearly indicates high levels of awareness and behavioural changes among the participants.