This project introduces a novel approach to environmental monitoring by equipping young children in Mexico City with wearable air quality sensors.
Unlike traditional stationary monitoring systems, this initiative generates hyperlocal, real-time data tied to children’s daily routines, capturing variations across time, location, and activity level. The innovation lies in combining engineering, public health, and policy expertise with participatory methods, positioning children not only as vulnerable populations but also as active contributors to data collection. By integrating wearable sensing with advanced analytics and community engagement, the project creates a scalable, child-centered model that connects lived experiences to actionable insights, visualizations, and policy briefs.
By empowering communities and policymakers, the research makes invisible pollution visible, driving evidence-based interventions, and helping them to advocate for themselves for climate-smart infrastructure.
The pilot aligns with Mexico’s national priorities and is designed to inform both local and global policy reforms. By centering children’s experiences, the project strengthens participatory climate action, builds capacity for youth-led monitoring, and lays the groundwork for replication in other highly polluted cities.
