With low vehicle numbers but increasing levels of motorisation in African countries is becoming a matter of serious concern. Africa is already in the grip of particulate pollution as it reports the highest annual average PM2.5 exposure. Toxic exposure from vehicles on road can be enormous and increase health risk significantly. As majority of old, polluting vehicles are imported in Africa and dominate the vehicular fleet, vehicular pollution exposure increases manifolds. Around 80 to 90 per cent of old vehicles are imported in African countries. Accident-prone vehicles also reach this region. It is imperative for governments to focus on vehicle emissions control and adopt robust vehicle inspection, roadworthiness and emissions checks and policies during pre-shipment of imported vehicles and also periodic checks thereafter. On-road vehicle emission inspection is important to keep vehicles low emitting during their useful life on the road. African cities need emission standards and fuel quality improvements to reduce emissions from new vehicles and a strong monitoring programme for emissions from on-road vehicles and management of older vehicles.
Many African countries have initiated the setting up of vehicle inspection centres to monitor the roadworthiness and emissions from on-road vehicles. Though visual checks for roadworthiness are carried out at existing centres, emissions testing is limited and conducted at few centres only. This strategy will require more attention and detailing as on-road exposure is enormous. More robust strategies and advance techniques are needed for quality testing, detect and repair visibly and other polluting vehicles, improve infrastructure for vehicle inspection, install more efficient screening systems with adequate deterrence for violation of rules.
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi, India based public interest research and advocacy organisation that has been researching and building capacity for air quality management strategies offers this online (self-paced) training to provide guidance on vehicular pollution and on-road emissions management strategies and build knowledge and regulatory capacity of officials from concerned departments and agencies in the African countries. This training represents our initiative to promote good regulatory practices, facilitate exchange of ideas, build knowledge and strengthen capacity in countries of the Africa region to address the emerging challenge of vehicular pollution. This will also sensitise about the global best practices.
Course structure: This online training will be conducted on the Moodle and Zoom platform through a variety of tools such as recorded video lectures, quiz/exercises, reading materials and resources, audio/visual methods including short films etc. It will cover a range of issues including:
- Understanding challenges and health impacts of increasing motorisation and toxic vehicular pollution and need for vehicle inspection systems
- Need for vehicle emissions standards and fuel quality roadmap
- Strategies to reduce emissions from on-road vehicles
- Vehicle inspection for road-worthiness and emissions testing
- Challenges and strategies to deal with old vehicles
- New generation advanced technologies for real world on-road emissions monitoring
As this is a self-paced training it is designed in such a way that it can be completed along with a regular job
Who can apply?Officials from diverse regulatory departments and agencies involved with vehicular pollution control, vehicle testing etc in African countries
Participants will be awarded a certificate of participation on completion of the course
For more information, please contact
Priyanka Chandola
Mobile: +91 – 9810414938
Email: priyanka@cseindia.org
Shourabh Gupta
Mobile: +91-8826806794
Email: shourabh.gupta@cseindia.org