World Resource Institute (WRI) Country Representative for Kenya and the Head of Air Quality for WRI Africa George Mwaniki speaking during the Clean-Air forum 2025 at Safari Park hotel, Nairobi, on July 15, 2025.
Africa’s most serious environmental challenge—air pollution—is top of the agenda this week in Nairobi, as stakeholders from across the continent converge for the CLEAN‑Air Forum 2025.
Runs from July 15–17 at the Safari Park Hotel, the event is the third edition of the annual summit, following the inaugural Kampala (2023) and Lagos (2024) gatherings.
Under the theme “Partnerships for Clean Air Solutions,” the forum seeks to deepen cross-border, multisectoral collaborations to address air pollution in African cities.
Among the heavyweights orchestrating the event are AirQo (Makerere University), the Health Effects Institute (HEI) and the World Resources Institute Africa (WRI).
Others are the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), and Nairobi City County .
Building East‑West Scientific Alliances
This year’s convocation marks a turning point in Africa’s environmental diplomacy and technical cooperation.
The forum’s mission is to foster collective learning, improve evidence generation, reinforce capacity‑building, and push for sustainable financing, including private‑sector participation.
The Nairobi edition is structured around plenary sessions—spanning governance, public health, finance—a technical workshop series on data systems, air‑quality modelling, citizen science, as well as poster sessions showcasing grassroots tools and field interventions .
A hybrid format enables remote engagement, ensuring broader reach across Africa’s policy, research, civil society, and private‑sector communities .
Key thematic pillars include:
- Low‑cost sensors, AI, and remote sensing to fill aerosol data gaps in African cities .
- Community‑led monitoring and data democratisation.
- Gender, equity, and health‑impact tracking.
- Sustainable transport and emissions control.
- Policy integration and funding mechanisms tailored for African urban contexts .
Participants are urged to embrace frameworks like the Africa Clean Air Programme (ACAP) and uphold aspirations of regional cooperation enshrined in the United Nations Environment Assembly resolution UNEA‑6/10 .
Air Quality Crisis: What’s Clouding Africa’s Cities
Experts point to a combination of entrenched and emerging pollution sources across urban Africa:
Transport tops the list. George Mwaniki, WRI Kenya’s air‑quality head, noted during the forum that standing alongside major roads clearly demonstrates how vehicular exhaust dominates urban air pollution.
In many cities, ageing vehicles and shared taxis or “motos” further heap on particulate and nitrogen‑oxide emissions .
Open waste burning, especially hospital and solid‑waste incineration, emerges as the second largest contributor.
In Nairobi, George Mwaniki highlighted that health‑care and other toxic waste burning is not just an air pollution concern—it also threatens public health and ecosystems .
Household air pollution remains widespread, particularly among lower‑income urban and rural communities using charcoal, firewood, or kerosene for cooking—leading to significant respiratory issues and contributing to Africa’s estimated 1 million+ air pollution‑related deaths annually.
A 2021 HEI report revealed that in East Africa alone, air pollution contributed to approximately 294,000 premature deaths, with children, pregnant women, and disadvantaged communities bearing the brunt.
From Lagos Lessons to Nairobi Goals
Forum organisers emphasise leveraging insights from Lagos 2024, which drew more than 80 African policymakers and over 200 experts representing 34 countries.
This year’s Kenyan forum has over 300 in‑person delegates—from governments, academia, startups, funders, media, youth groups, and private sector leaders—building on a continental coalition now spanning Kampala, Lagos, and Nairobi.
Wanjira Mathai, Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships at WRI, emphasised inclusivity and unity in addressing pollution’s cross‑border nature:
“No one city, country or community can solve this crisis alone… this Forum catalyses a united front, bigger investments, stronger commitments, and new partnerships for clean air,” she said.
Dr. Babatunde Ajayi of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency echoed the point, describing the forum as “the most technical gathering of experts…” that accelerates sharing of competence and expertise across Africa .
A Continental Blueprint for Clean Air
Nairobi’s forum carries substantial ambition: to architect what its organisers call “a continental roadmap”—guiding national and regional authorities to:
- Strengthen air-quality data systems, deploying sensors and remote monitoring.
- Boost research and local capacity.
- Harmonise policy and legal frameworks.
- Amplify public awareness through targeted communication strategies.
- Establish monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems for accountability .
Critically, the African Clean Air Programme (ACAP) seeks to craft an enabling environment for investment in clean, low-carbon growth, signal policies aligned with clean air and climate goals, and foster united, regional action.
Looking Ahead: From Pledges to Just Actions
The Nairobi meeting isn’t just talk—it’s timed to ignite action that transforms fragile data systems into robust platforms, experimental solar or electric transport pilots into scalable infrastructure, and informal waste‑burning practices into regulated recycling schemes.
Nairobi’s Green Nairobi CEC member, Ibrahim Auma, affirmed the county’s resolve in hosting the forum and crafting a legacy for clean‑air reform .
By mid‑week, delegates will emerge with a strengthened vision for clean‑air science, policy, and finance, and resolute commitments to tackle pervasive pollution—from idle buses and belching hospitals to households still cooking over charcoal.
Across Eastern, Western, and Southern Africa, the Nairobi forum plants a key milestone—and urgency remains paramount. Africa’s lungs, and its most vulnerable citizens, cannot wait.
Nairobi’s Clean‑Air Forum 2025 shines as a rallying platform, fusing data, diplomacy, and funding to tackle the continent’s choking air.
But success hinges on moving from dialogue to action—sanctioned regional treaties, sustainable city-level interventions, and inclusive financing frameworks. With transport and waste as primary culprits, this forum must spark innovations that clear skies—and protect lives.
