Modeling the Impact of Socio-Economic and Environmental Factors on Air Quality in the City of Kabul

Mohammad Shahab Sharifi (), Alyas Aslami, Hameedullah Zaheb (), Imran Abed, Abdul Wahab Shokoori and Atsushi Yona
Additional contact information
Mohammad Shahab Sharifi: Department of Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kabul University, Kabul 1006, Afghanistan
Alyas Aslami: Department of Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kabul University, Kabul 1006, Afghanistan
Hameedullah Zaheb: Department of Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kabul University, Kabul 1006, Afghanistan
Imran Abed: Department of Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kabul University, Kabul 1006, Afghanistan
Abdul Wahab Shokoori: Department of Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kabul University, Kabul 1006, Afghanistan
Atsushi Yona: Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-15

Abstract: Air pollution is a vital concern for developing countries, and the growing concentration of air pollutants in Kabul—the most polluted city in Afghanistan—has raised concerns about the health of its citizens. This study examines Kabul’s ambient air quality from a socio-economic and environmental perspective, primarily focusing on some crucial parameters, such as the Air Quality Index (AQI), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), particulate matter (PM2.5), and carbon monoxide (CO). Using multiple regression analysis modeling in R and data from satellite imagery, air quality monitoring stations, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), this study demonstrates a strong relationship between air quality and urban green spaces, population growth, vehicle count, temperature, and electricity availability. Key results indicate that increasing urban green areas improves air quality, but that population growth and heat make air pollution worse. This study suggests that airborne pollutants could be reduced through efficient emissions management, green energy sources, and urban planning. These observations provide policymakers and urban planners with practical recommendations to enhance Kabul’s air quality and general public health.

Keywords: AQI (air quality index); socio-economic factors; environmental factors; multiple regression analysis; urban green spaces (UGS); R program; GIS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/24/10969/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/24/10969/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:24:p:10969-:d:1543561

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().