Makati City Mayor Abby Binay underscored the importance of the city's air quality sensors as it accurately detected the quality of air in its various barangays during the height of volcanic smog or vog emissions from the Taal volcano this week.
According to Binay, the sensors have greatly helped the city government provide timely and accurate air pollution advisories to the public through the sending of real-time data to the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Operations Center via wireless data transmission.
“With these sensors, we are able to zero in on areas in the city where poor air quality posed serious health hazards. This has been very useful in the wake of the recent vog emissions from Taal Volcano,” Binay said.
“These smart devices also help the city government monitor compliance with the Clean Air Act and related regulations, particularly among businesses,” she added.
There are 824 units of indoor air quality monitoring devices and 200 outdoor air quality monitoring devices with solar panels installed in strategic locations throughout the city.
Binay explained that the air quality sensors help the city identify pollution sources and implement countermeasures, and to detect changes in weather patterns to anticipate climate change impacts on air quality.
Air quality sensors provide real-time monitoring of heat index, ambient temperature, humidity, CO2 level, and dust levels (Particulate Matter). These sensors can also view accumulated data and generate reports.
This year, the city government has allocated a total of P165 million for the procurement of various types of smart devices in line with its adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) in its environmental management initiatives.
The Internet of Things consists of a network of smart devices or physical objects embedded with sensors, software and network connectivity that enable them to collect and share data. These devices are able to communicate with each other and with other internet-enabled devices.
“These devices are useful tools in quantifying, measuring, monitoring and tracking the city’s performance against environmental standards. They also enable the city government to efficiently and effectively monitor risks and hazards through real-time data,” the mayor said.