Institut Régional de Santé Publique

Benin currently has no operational air quality monitoring network. The “Benin Initiative for Clean Air Solutions” (BIC) aims to change that by deploying a network of nine monitoring stations across the country; a reference-grade instrument and eight low-cost sensors distributed across urban, industrial, and rural areas. Together, they will generate reliable, real-time data on PM₂.₅ (fine particulate matter), a major health hazard. This data will be made openly available through the OpenAQ platform, under a CC-BY-4.0 license. Our ambition goes beyond measurement: we want to use these local findings to support the implementation of Benin’s new environmental law, adopted in July 2026, it mandates air quality standards and calls for a permanent monitoring system. By providing the first locally generated evidence, our project will help turn this law into action and build a national clean air agenda grounded in science, transparency, and public participation.

The Benin Initiative for Clean Air Solutions (BIC) aims to establish the first operational national ambient air quality monitoring network in Benin, combining a reference-grade monitor (Beta Attenuation Mass Monitor, BAM) and eight low-cost sensors distributed across representative sites nationwide. The project seeks to generate robust and reliable PM₂.₅ data, disseminated in near real-time through the OpenAQ platform, to inform evidence-based environmental health policy-making. This initiative will lay the groundwork for a national clean air governance framework and support the revision of the existing regulatory landscape, grounded in locally generated empirical evidence. It will further bolster Benin’s position in international environmental negotiations.

Prof. Nonvignon Marius KEDOTE, Head, Department of Environmental Health, Institut Régional de Santé Publique