Effects of the COVID-19 lockdown and recovery on People's mobility and air quality in the United Arab Emirates using satellite and ground observations.

Shanableh, A; Al-Ruzouq, R; Hamad, K; Gibril, MBA; Khalil, MA; Khalifa, I; El Traboulsi, Y; Pradhan, B; Jena, R; Alani, S; Alhosani, M; Stietiya, MH; Al Bardan, M; Al-Mansoori, S

Effects of the COVID-19 lockdown and recovery on People's mobility and air quality in the United Arab Emirates using satellite and ground observations.

Shanableh, A Al-Ruzouq, R Hamad, K Gibril, MBA Khalil, MA Khalifa, I El Traboulsi, Y Pradhan, B

Jena, R

Alani, S Alhosani, M Stietiya, MH Al Bardan, M Al-Mansoori, S

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Publisher:: Elsevier
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Remote Sens Appl, 2022, 26, pp. 100757
Issue Date:: 2022-04

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Shanableh, A
dc.contributor.author	Al-Ruzouq, R
dc.contributor.author	Hamad, K
dc.contributor.author	Gibril, MBA
dc.contributor.author	Khalil, MA
dc.contributor.author	Khalifa, I
dc.contributor.author	El Traboulsi, Y
dc.contributor.author	Pradhan, B https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9863-2054
dc.contributor.author	Jena, R https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6180-4673
dc.contributor.author	Alani, S
dc.contributor.author	Alhosani, M
dc.contributor.author	Stietiya, MH
dc.contributor.author	Al Bardan, M
dc.contributor.author	Al-Mansoori, S
dc.date.accessioned	2023-03-20T04:11:45Z
dc.date.available	2022-04-14
dc.date.available	2023-03-20T04:11:45Z
dc.date.issued	2022-04
dc.identifier.citation	Remote Sens Appl, 2022, 26, pp. 100757
dc.identifier.issn	2352-9385
dc.identifier.issn	2352-9385
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/167752
dc.description.abstract	The stringent COVID-19 lockdown measures in 2020 significantly impacted people's mobility and air quality worldwide. This study presents an assessment of the impacts of the lockdown and the subsequent reopening on air quality and people's mobility in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Google's community mobility reports and UAE's government lockdown measures were used to assess the changes in the mobility patterns. Time-series and statistical analyses of various air pollutants levels (NO2, O3, SO2, PM10, and aerosol optical depth-AOD) obtained from satellite images and ground monitoring stations were used to assess air quality. The levels of pollutants during the initial lockdown (March to June 2020) and the subsequent gradual reopening in 2020 and 2021 were compared with their average levels during 2015-2019. During the lockdown, people's mobility in the workplace, parks, shops and pharmacies, transit stations, and retail and recreation sectors decreased by about 34%-79%. However, the mobility in the residential sector increased by up to 29%. The satellite-based data indicated significant reductions in NO2 (up to 22%), SO2 (up to 17%), and AOD (up to 40%) with small changes in O3 (up to 5%) during the lockdown. Similarly, data from the ground monitoring stations showed significant reductions in NO2 (49% - 57%) and PM10 (19% - 64%); however, the SO2 and O3 levels showed inconsistent trends. The ground and satellite-based air quality levels were positively correlated for NO2, PM10, and AOD. The data also demonstrated significant correlations between the mobility and NO2 and AOD levels during the lockdown and recovery periods. The study documents the impacts of the lockdown on people's mobility and air quality and provides useful data and analyses for researchers, planners, and policymakers relevant to managing risk, mobility, and air quality.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Elsevier
dc.relation.ispartof	Remote Sens Appl
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.rsase.2022.100757
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
dc.title	Effects of the COVID-19 lockdown and recovery on People's mobility and air quality in the United Arab Emirates using satellite and ground observations.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	26
utslib.location.activity	Netherlands
utslib.for	0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CAMGIS - Centre for Advanced Modelling and Geospatial lnformation Systems
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Information, Systems and Modelling
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2023-03-20T04:07:48Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	26

Abstract:

The stringent COVID-19 lockdown measures in 2020 significantly impacted people's mobility and air quality worldwide. This study presents an assessment of the impacts of the lockdown and the subsequent reopening on air quality and people's mobility in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Google's community mobility reports and UAE's government lockdown measures were used to assess the changes in the mobility patterns. Time-series and statistical analyses of various air pollutants levels (NO2, O3, SO2, PM10, and aerosol optical depth-AOD) obtained from satellite images and ground monitoring stations were used to assess air quality. The levels of pollutants during the initial lockdown (March to June 2020) and the subsequent gradual reopening in 2020 and 2021 were compared with their average levels during 2015-2019. During the lockdown, people's mobility in the workplace, parks, shops and pharmacies, transit stations, and retail and recreation sectors decreased by about 34%-79%. However, the mobility in the residential sector increased by up to 29%. The satellite-based data indicated significant reductions in NO2 (up to 22%), SO2 (up to 17%), and AOD (up to 40%) with small changes in O3 (up to 5%) during the lockdown. Similarly, data from the ground monitoring stations showed significant reductions in NO2 (49% - 57%) and PM10 (19% - 64%); however, the SO2 and O3 levels showed inconsistent trends. The ground and satellite-based air quality levels were positively correlated for NO2, PM10, and AOD. The data also demonstrated significant correlations between the mobility and NO2 and AOD levels during the lockdown and recovery periods. The study documents the impacts of the lockdown on people's mobility and air quality and provides useful data and analyses for researchers, planners, and policymakers relevant to managing risk, mobility, and air quality.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/167752