Air quality perceptual index approach: Development and application with data from two Nigerian cities

Due to the world's population growth, poor air quality (PAQ) has become a major health and environmental issue. Cities, in particular, have had to face the challenge of PAQ as a result of traffic and, in the case of the developing world, the use of diesel generators for domestic and industrial energy supply. As with other societal issues, such as corruption, that have perceptual indices to aid with their assessment, an Air Quality Perception Index (AQPI) could be pivotal in the assessment of air quality (AQ). The use of reference or instrument-measured information has been at the forefront of environmental assessment, but a perception-based index could provide a valuable supplementary approach. This paper discusses the potential for an AQPI based on research that took place on perceptions of air quality by residents in two cities, Abuja and Enugu, in Nigeria. The research was based on a survey of respondents who were asked to score various perceptual indicators of AQ. Utilizing the three most frequently perceived indicators of AQ identified in the survey, dust, smoke and smell/odour, an AQPI is presented and illustrated. The proposed AQPI follows a similar logic to that set out for the Human Development Index, with values that range from 0 to 1, with higher values suggesting better AQ. The paper makes the case for the AQPI as a complement to instrument-measured outcomes especially when the latter are rarely available such as in many cities of the global south due to high cost and operational capacity requirements.