Valley residents rely on senses over data for air pollution

A recent survey conducted across the region reveals that a significant proportion of local inhabitants view current atmospheric conditions as dangerous to human health. Air pollution is viewed as hazardous or extremely hazardous to personal health by 81.2 percent of individuals living in the Kathmandu Valley. Despite this widespread concern about environmental conditions, the methods individuals use to track atmospheric safety vary substantially across different segments of the local population. Rather than consulting official digital measurements, most people who check air quality rely heavily on their own physical observations. A survey of 1,200 Valley inhabitants carried out by Taza Initiative Nepal revealed that 94.1 percent of individuals tracking air pollution rely on visual cues, scent, and eye discomfort to evaluate the situation. This reliance on personal senses highlights a distinct gap between formal monitoring infrastructure and daily public habits. The findings also point to notable differences in digital literacy regarding environmental data across various educational backgrounds. Only 10.8 percent of respondents with primary education or below stated that they knew how to check air quality measurements. In contrast, 63 percent of individuals holding a master’s degree or higher reported knowing how to access and interpret the same official figures. Demographic factors also influence the specific digital tools utilized by those who actively track atmospheric conditions. Among respondents aged 18 to 24 who monitor air pollution, 60.3 percent use websites to gather information. Furthermore, 42.5 percent of individuals within this specific age bracket rely on mobile applications to keep track of environmental safety updates in their respective localities.