One year of clean air data in Liberia
A progress update on Clean Air Liberia's PM2.5 monitoring network — what we built, what we learned, and what it's already changing across Monrovia.
8
Sensors deployed
Dec '25
Deployment completed
May '25
Open data since
~80
People trained
7
Faulty units replaced free
5
Partner institutions
At a glance
Executive summary
- First wave of PM2.5 sensors installed across busy traffic areas, dense neighborhoods, and public institutions in Greater Monrovia, establishing an initial exposure baseline.
- A full data pipeline — capture, quality assurance, public sharing — built with AfriSET and AirGradient.
- Hands-on training delivered to student and technical teams on site selection, installation, and maintenance.
- Standard operating procedures written for site assessment, installation, and reporting, reducing reliance on any one person.
- 7 of 8 solar sensors failed in the field due to motherboard issues — AirGradient replaced them at no charge.
- Sensors need local calibration against a reference-grade monitor, especially given humidity and aerosol variation.
- Customs delays and shipping timelines have occasionally slowed replacement cycles.
- Site security and community understanding — addressed through host MOUs, signage, and briefings.
- PM2.5 is now being framed publicly as a real health and development risk, echoing WHO guidance.
- EPA-Liberia and Monrovia City Corporation are actively discussing where pollution is worst and what actionable alerts should look like for schools and clinics.
Liberia has moved from having almost no routine PM2.5 evidence to running a functional, scalable monitoring and reporting system. The project has also mapped out exactly what needs fixing — uptime, calibration, logistics — before the data can be trusted for national policy at scale.
Where the funding went
The three deliverables
PM2.5 monitoring network
Sensor deployment across Greater Monrovia is complete. The main risk now is keeping devices powered, calibrated, and online — humidity, rain, patchy internet, and unreliable electricity are the recurring threats to data continuity.
Fully open data sharing
Data is published openly via the OpenAQ Explorer platform. A second batch of replacement sensors came online in January 2026. The current focus is on cleaning and documenting the data well enough to build public trust in it.
National-level impact
Goal: a sustainable, nationally recognized monitoring system whose data actively shapes EPA standards, urban planning, and health advisories. Liberia's still-forming regulatory framework for air quality is the biggest structural hurdle.
Beyond our own sensors
What's changing in the community
These are outcomes the project helped drive, but doesn't fully control — signs that clean air is becoming a shared priority, not just a project.
EPA sensor mandate
Liberia's Environmental Protection Agency now requires businesses to install air quality sensors — a direct sign of institutional focus growing around this issue.
Media coverage on health
Local media are connecting air pollution to heart disease and stroke, pushing the risks of poor air quality into public conversation.
A student-led movement
An August 2025 training workshop at United Methodist University (~60 students and faculty) led directly to a student-run air quality advocacy group and a joint UMU–Monrovia City Corporation sustainability club.
Institutional engagement
A July 2025 technical briefing with EPA and academic partners (~20 participants) opened discussions on folding this data into national environmental reporting — with the National Public Health Institute now being engaged to connect air quality to health outcomes.
Who made this possible
Partners on this report
Lead organization
Kigali Collaborative Research Center
Rwanda — leads the project on behalf of the EPIC AQ Fund.
Academic partner
United Methodist University
Field research, student training, and technician support.
Government partner
EPA Liberia
Regulatory guidance and now mandates sensors for businesses.
Municipal partner
Monrovia City Corporation
Site placement and community engagement across districts.
Technical partner
AfriSET
Calibration protocols, QA, and field-team training.
Equipment partner
AirGradient
Sensor hardware, troubleshooting, and free replacement units.
Looking ahead
What's next
Bring in a reference-grade monitor and formalize a Liberia-specific calibration and QA protocol.
Build hybrid power solutions and more stable institutional hosting to protect uptime.
Cross-train team members so technical skills survive staff turnover.
Keep structured engagement with policymakers so data actually becomes regulation.