Aerial view of Davao City (Photo courtesy of slb808501 / Wikimedia Commons)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Where could the most polluted area in Davao City be?
With constructions going on here and there, the Environmental Management Bureau Region 11 is seeing the influx of more people and vehicles and therefore more particulate matter that will increase the possibility of having unhealthy air. The city’s air quality is currently rated as good and fair.
However, to monitor how polluted a portion of the city is, the EMB 11 will conduct the first air dispersion mapping here next year.
Engineer Melvin Dapitanon, airshed focal person for Davao City on Friday, November 3 said the air dispersion mapping is currently on the planning stage and will kick off next year. Dapitanon told Davao Today that through the project, the government can monitor which part of the city is polluted and what policies should be implemented.
Dapitanon said the booming economy in the city is the major reason why the EMB will hold a mapping next year.
“We do a mapping before but it was done by province not from the bottom approach,” he said. Aside from that the technology transfer is not yet ready in the previous years.
The air dispersion modeling uses engineering software, Dapitanon said. The modeling is provided under the Clean Air Act.
Dapitanon explained that through the air dispersion modeling, the EMB will monitor different areas in the city where an increase of particulate matter is noted. The increase of pollutants can be identified in areas where there is a higher volume of vehicles and stationary industries.
Among the recommendations that the air dispersion modeling report can help with will be the improvement of traffic system, modernization of transportation and putting up of biking and walking lanes.
Based on the EMB’s study, the city’s total pollutant is composed of 70 percent mobile sources like vehicles, 20 percent stationary industries, and 10 percent area sources including community activities.
The EMB 11 will also hold the emission inventory next year, which is held every three years.
But this year, Dapitanon said they are giving responsibility to the local government unit to conduct emission inventory. (davaotoday.com)
