Context
The 21st century is characterized by multiple concerns linked to the environmental sphere. The 2021 trends include attempts to minimize the negative impact of human beings on nature and find new ways to save our planet from radical climate changes. Today, we can see the results of our activity such as numerous floods, fires, tsunamis, icebergs melting, draughts. However, people might disregard air pollution, as it is not visible. Thus, the World Health Organization (WHO) (2019) release the list of environmental threats to our health, with air pollution one of the most serious hazards as 9 out of 10 people inhale harmful substances. Regarding the Gulf region, it has the 12th worst air quality globally, meaning that people face a high risk of acquiring multiple health problems (“Improving air quality,” 2021). For this reason, we narrowed the focus on this issue to find a possible way to improve the situation.
The central goal is to attract people’s attention to the seriousness of the threat and promote healthy habits among the population of the UAE. It is essential to make air pollution a personal issue which demands a serious change in people’s attitude to this aspect and their belief that every person can contribute to the improvement of the situation.
Following this goal, I collected data from experts, reports, and credible sources to structure information about the effects of air conditioning and how they can be mitigated. They suggest educational programs and training for families to promote a positive influence and ensure UAE citizens’ participation.
Research
The following project focuses on investigating the problem of air pollution in the UAE and how it can be managed. The current statistics prove the topicality of the problem as 800 people die from causes linked to this problem every hour; 93% of children suffer from this factor; and 70% of all power consumption in the UAE comes from air conditioning (WHO, 2019). It means that the improvement can be attained by working with the population as changing the temperature once can save energy and avoid excessive work of power plants.
Research questions:
- How can we involve kids in improving the quality of air in the UAE?
- How can kids educate their families about air conditioning and the necessity for its change?
- How can children from the UAE cooperate with kids from different regions to share these ideas?
- How can children trace the progress by monitoring conditioning and bills?
- How can families contribute to better results and improvement in air quality?
However, the central research question is:
How can we improve the quality of air in the UAE and ensure new populations will have more chances for a healthy environment?
These research questions presuppose the following goals:
- To educate kids about the ways to improve the quality of air
- To show families the importance of their contribution to better air quality
- To align competition between households to reduce energy consumption
- To increase population awareness levels about the problem of air pollution
The selected population can be motivated by special rewards provided by the sponsors of the project and by the chance to improve the planet and make it a better place for kids by their own actions.
Ideation
“The only solution to pollution is a people’s humane revolution.” – Bobby Seale.
Looking for the possible solutions to the proposed problem, I was inspired by some popular trends and an expert interview to determine the current trends and most effective methods to resolve problems. The central idea is to make air issues personal or ensure every person that his/her contribution is vital for the attainment of desired outcomes as only the collaborative effort can ensure the overall success of the project.
The main aim is to launch a public campaign to raise peoples’ awareness about air as the number one threat to public health. I expect it will help to alter personal behaviors and reduce the individual impacts on the environment.
The expert interview was used as the central method to identify the leading sources of air pollution and how the problem can be managed. It revealed that air conditioning results in increased energy consumption and the growing number of harmful substances produced by power plants. The expert also stated that alteration in the work of air conditioning systems could help to improve the situation.
Being inspired by the article of Stanford Social Innovation and videos by Amnesty International UK (n.d.) and Coca Cola (n.d.), I come up with the idea of the educational project performed using social platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. Kids and their parents should be educated about the contribution they can make and inspired to take an active part in different processes aimed at enhancing the quality of air. Another essential idea is global cooperation, as children involved in the project in the UAE can share their knowledge with teens from other regions to attain better results.
Altogether, the project follows the central idea of inspiring people to view air pollution as their personal concern and try to alter the current situation.
Product Requirements
Who will see the campaign?
The project is designed both for kids and parents to ensure that the target population is affected by the campaign and is ready to join it. Mostly, people interested in environmental issues can be the first participants.
What must it do?
The central goal of the campaign is to involve people in attempts to improve the quality of the air and ensure there is no further deterioration. It should increase people’s awareness about the influence of their actions on nature and inform them who to enhance the situation.
What needs should it serve?
It should serve the needs of the UAE citizens who inhale poor quality air and suffer from numerous outcomes. It is expected that 80% of the population of the UAE can help to save 6% of electricity consumption.
Why will the product be used?
Following the guidelines, parents will be able to save money because of a wiser use of climate control devices. It also will be visually attractive, popularized by using social networks, and available for all individuals who want to try to take part in it.
Where will the campaign be seen?
The campaign on TikTok and Snapchat will be designed for a younger population to target kids, provide them with information, and enroll them in the project. YouTube and Instagram are expected to be the platforms to inspire the older populations and cooperate with parents.
When and how long?
The campaign is designed for three months minimum as this period will help to track the change and determine the contribution participants made to the improvement in the quality of air. It will start when the first group is ready.
How will the campaign be presented?
All social media and platforms mentioned above can be employed to promote the project and attract people’s attention to it. It will be presented via the Internet to reach the target population and improve their awareness.
SWOT
Strengths
The product is designed to improve the population’s quality of life and resolve the problem of air pollution. The focus on community needs and the contribution to global improvement is the central strength of the campaign. Also, it will help to save some costs and acquire new knowledge about environmental concerns (Locke, 2019). In the long run, it can become a global incentive supported by other countries due to its ability to resolve current issues.
Weaknesses
The campaign critically depends on participants’ eagerness and motivation to take part in it. As any voluntary project with no significant monetary benefit, it presupposes people’s readiness to take a step towards improving the world where they live. The uncertainty about the number of participants and the degree of their involvement can is the central weakness of the project.
Opportunities
The campaign offers several opportunities from a long-term perspective. First, it can serve as the basis for a new project focused on kids and their behaviors. The success of this incentive will create a pool of participants ready to participate in activities aimed at the improvement of the environment and its protection, which is vital for results.
Threats
The existence of similar projects and campaigns, along with the lack of motivation among people to take part in such activities, might limit its chances for success. Also, it depends on sponsors and investors needed to provide rewards for people who perform all tasks. Moreover, cooperation with all platforms mentioned above should be aligned.
References
Amnesty International UK. (n.d.). A powerful experiment [Video file]. Web.
Coca-Cola. (n.d.). Coca-Cola small world machines – bringing India & Pakistan together [Video file]. Web.
Improving air quality. (2021). Web.
Locke, S. (2019). How to reduce your air-conditioning bill in the UAE. The National News. Web.
World Health Organization (WHO). Ten threats to global health in 2019. Web.