Air pollution data can keep inland ports green – and in business

Poor air quality affects everyone. According to MIT Sloan, air pollution is the leading cause of death in India, contributing to more than 1.6 million fatalities each year. It's the cause of 1.1 million premature deaths annually in China and, in the US, a staggering 111 million Americans endure unhealthy air.

Air pollution certainly has a huge impact on individuals, but the problem also affects businesses and government agencies.

That's why Munich-based company Hawa Dawa has dedicated itself to the task of obtaining detailed air quality data with the purpose of helping developers create better products and services, and agencies improve environmental and social conditions. Their data assists diverse industries including urban mobility and smart cities, health and fitness, real estate, and finance.

Perhaps surprising, the air quality data Hawa Dawa collects can also help inland ports maintain a low environmental impact without sacrificing efficiency.

“Air quality is a non-negligible fact in all areas of human life. Therefore, the number of possible use cases is huge. We trust in the creativity of the developer community to take this opportunity forward and enhance their products with our data and contribute to healthier lives and economic wealth." – Karim Tarraf, CEO and Co-Founder of Hawa Dawa

Transforming air pollution data into action

When it comes to managing air quality and meeting environmental targets, the transportation and logistics industry has a great responsibility in reducing CO₂, as automotive manufacturing and logistics services contribute 1/5 of the world's greenhouse gases.

Inland ports, as urban hubs for imports/exports, industrial production, and container shipping, can benefit from gaining insight into air quality levels and reducing their carbon footprint.

Hawa Dawa collects air quality data from a broad range of sources including satellites, ground-based public measurement stations, IoT sensors, AI, machine learning and cloud services – and connects them with use-case data from traffic and other sources.

Using an innovative technology platform, they process the data using a secure and contained backend program.

AI ensures quality, coverage, and detail while allowing Hawa Dawa to provide data on NO₂, ozone, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), and pollen levels. They share their historic and real-time data via detailed spatial and temporal dashboards, APIs and analytics – and as of June 2021 – via the HERE Marketplace.

"The integration of environmental and social factors in port ecosystems requires a programmatic approach from data capture, to analytics and risk assessments, to substantiated strategies to avoid, shift or improve the environmental footprint of port movements." – Karim Tarraf, CEO and Co-Founder, Hawa Dawa

Hawa Dawa helps inland ports collect air quality data in their specific region including across open water, portside and port hinterland, in addition to identifying pollution trends and hotspots to make more informed decisions. Hawa Dawa also helps inland ports implement digital air quality data into existing management systems including digital twins and generating reports for liaison with city stakeholders and regional policymakers.

Reducing and eliminating CO₂ emissions via renewable energy and green transportation methods, in addition to creating more  green space, is the only way to improve air quality long term.

However, gaining insight into the details of air pollution is an immediate way to begin modifying behaviors and preventing sickness.

“We are happy to offer this comprehensive system to ports and port authorities and believe with the prominence of AI, Big Data and the urgency to act, eco-sensitivity will become a mainstream feat in port management." – Karim Tarraf, CEO and Co-Founder, Hawa Dawa

Access a world of location assets and a rich ecosystem of partners and developers with HERE Marketplace.