First of Its Kind Cross-Regional Citizen Science Air Quality Monitoring Project in Surabaya, Indonesia; Ogijo, Nigeria; Dumaguete, Philippines 

A citizen-science study monitoring the air quality nearby waste incineration facilities in three cities in the Global South found high levels of particulate matter (PM); PM2.5 levels were 5-8 times higher and PM 10 were between 3-5 times higher than the guidelines set by the World Health Organization. The study comes as a response to local governments and regulatory agencies’ failure to monitor these facilities’ pollution levels, allowing them to continue unchecked. Community groups are calling on their local governments to enforce stricter environmental regulations and monitoring for polluting facilities, if not shut them down altogether.

“The air pollution from these incinerators are not just a distant threat—they’re already affecting our health and daily lives,” states Wahyu Eka Styawan of WALHI East Java, Indonesia. “People are coughing, struggling to breathe, and living in fear of what they can’t see but can certainly feel. What’s worse, we’ve been kept in the dark. There’s no transparency, no real space for public participation in decisions that affect our future. This is not just unfair—it’s dangerous. We urgently call on governments to cancel these waste-to-energy projects and start listening to the people who are paying the price with their lungs.”

Three members of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA)— War on Waste (WOW) Negros Oriental in Dumaguete, Philippines; Green Knowledge Foundation in Ogijo, Nigeria; and Indonesian Environmental Forum (WALHI) in Surabaya, Indonesia organized community volunteers to wear portable air-quality monitors near the polluting facility, in addition to stationary air monitoring equipment.

The monitors measured two kinds of particulate matter (PM)– PM 2.5 and PM 10. The study found:

  • In Dumaguete, citizens monitored the area nearby a pyrolysis-gasification unit at a Central Materials Recovery Facility. The PM2.5 concentration level was unhealthy for a portion of the population 24 out of 27 days (88%), and was up to 7 times higher than WHO guidelines, as a result of the facility’s emissions. Researchers estimated that up to 179 premature deaths could be avoided annually by shutting down the pyrolysis plant.

  • In Surabaya, citizens monitored the area nearby a gasification facility called Benowo Waste-to-Energy Power Plant. Maximum daily average PM2.5 levels were up to 8 times higher than WHO guidelines, exceeding the threshold 100% of the monitoring days. Throughout the entire mobile monitoring period (31 days in total), the air quality was not considered healthy for a single day.

  • In Ogijo, citizens monitored the area around a facility claiming to recycle tires called Tec High Profile Nigeria Limited. The maximum daily average PM2.5 level was up to 5 times higher than WHO guidelines, exceeding the threshold 100% of the monitoring days. Throughout the entire monitoring period (23 days in total), the air quality was unhealthy for a portion of the population.

PM is a known carcinogen. Because it is so small, particulate matter can easily permeate every organ in the body, with disastrous consequences on human health. PM can cause asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancers, among others.

Many of the readings were taken at nearby schools, retirement homes, residential areas, local stores, and farmland, showing how the pollution can affect the everyday life of community members, and that those most vulnerable in our society–children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing health issues– are particularly exposed.

“Often, the burden of proving that industrial pollutants could cause harm is unjustly placed on poor communities, but new technologies such as the one used in our study allow citizens to present incontrovertible evidence of exposures to toxic pollutants and demand greater transparency and accountability,” explained Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, a member of the scientific team supporting the communities.

Waste-burning projects in the Global South are often presented as a sophisticated way to solve municipal waste problems, especially increasing volumes of plastic waste– which are primarily produced by Global North companies and countries and shipped to the Global South, either as single-use plastic items for sale or in the waste trade. Even in Global North countries with strong environmental safeguards, waste incineration has shown to be hazardous.

Despite this, international financial institutions like the ADB and World Bank continue to recommend and support incineration in policy frameworks and projects, particularly in the Global South, despite the industry’s poor reputation.

“Global climate financing for waste management should avoid funding these false solutions and prioritize solutions at the top of the waste hierarchy, which not only reduce climate emissions but also deliver co-benefits like local job creation, soil restoration, and improved livelihoods,” said Weyinmi Okotie, GAIA Africa, Clean Air Program Manager and Executive Director of Green Knowledge Foundation.

Press contacts:

Global: Claire Arkin | claire@no-burn.org

Africa: Carisa Marnce | carissa@no-burn.org

Asia Pacific: Robi Kate Miranda | robi@no-burn.org