Human Appeal Development Organization (HADO) has secured an 18-month grant from the EPIC Air Quality Fund at the University of Chicago to establish South Sudan’s first long-term air quality monitoring network. Running from September 2026 to February 2028, the project, titled South Sudan Clean Air Initiative: Generating Open Air Quality Data in Juba, Terekeka and Magwi Counties for Evidence-Based National Policy, will measure air pollution across the three counties and make the data freely available to the public.
About the Project
Air pollution is a growing environmental and public health concern in South Sudan. It contributes to respiratory and cardiovascular disease in Juba, Terekeka and Magwi counties, and in other cities and towns across the country. Yet the true scale of the problem is unknown, because pollution levels have never been systematically measured. Without measurement, neither the problem nor the success of any solution can be properly assessed.
With support from the EPIC Air Quality Fund at the University of Chicago, Human Appeal Development Organization (HADO) will install South Sudan’s first long-term air quality monitoring network across Juba, Terekeka and Magwi counties in Central and Eastern Equatoria States. Using 20 low-cost Binos Air Quality Monitors, the project will measure outdoor air pollution (PM2.5) and publish the data openly, in real time.
This evidence will give communities the information they need to protect their health. It will also give the Ministry of Environment & Forestry & Ministry of Health the foundation to develop South Sudan’s first national air quality standards, supporting lasting, evidence-based policy change.
What the Project Will Deliver
- A first-ever air pollution baseline data: real-time PM2.5 data from Juba, Terekeka and Magwi counties.
- Open, high-quality data: freely accessible to everyone under a Creative Commons license.
- Empowered communities: open data that lets individuals and communities take proactive steps to protect their health and well-being.
- Public awareness and research: data that supports awareness campaigns and research.
- Evidence for policy: support for the Ministry of Environment & Forestry and the Ministry of Health in developing South Sudan’s first national air quality standards, to improve air quality and public health nationwide.
- Lasting capacity: trained HADO and government staff who will sustain the network over the long term.
Read the donor’s announcement of this award: EPIC Air Quality Fund: Human Appeal Development Organization (HADO)
About the EPIC Air Quality Fund
The EPIC Air Quality Fund supports local governments and organizations in installing air quality monitors, providing open data to communities, and driving national-level impact in countries that could benefit most. Awardees must share the data they produce openly and have a clear plan for using it to achieve national-level policy change. The Fund is part of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC). Learn more at aqfund.epic.uchicago.edu