IOT-Based Conceptual Framework for the Prevention of Acute Air Pollution Episodes for Reducing and Limiting Related Diseases in Egypt

Abstract

Egypt is suffering from acute air pollution episodes as a result of Egyptian farmers’ continuous burning of rice straw after harvest. The Egyptian government issued strict legislations and took measurements to prevent the burning processes and counter its pollution. Still the problem persists constituting a major public health issue. The paper introduces a proposed Internet of Things “IOT-Based conceptual Framework for the prevention of acute air pollution episodes caused by rice straw burning which negatively impacts the environment and public health. The proposed IOT-Based conceptual framework considers environmental and related healthcare dimensions and parameters. It argues that IOT technologies can efficiently solve this problem by preventing and controlling the fire counts and monitoring the black cloud movement to react or pro-act in dealing with health consequences. The paper starts explaining IOT definition, architecture, benefits and challenges. Then explains in details the acute air pollution episode and the black cloud, its reasons and consequences. It presents a proposed IOT-Based solution scenario and its corresponding phases. Finally, it contributes with a proposed general IOT-Based conceptual Framework to prevent and control the acute air pollution episode and limit its health-related problems in Egypt, concentrating on the proposed IOT layers and components used.