Kinshasa - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Bad, during the dry season you won't see the sun for months because of the air pollution so it definitely has an impact on health, both physically and mentally. People with respiratory issues or allergies seem to suffer the worst. - May 2024
It is bad, specially during the dry season. This is not a post for folks with respiratory issues. Air quality does have an impact on health here. We notice it every time we leave and return to the country. - Aug 2022
There's a decent amount of air pollution, especially in the dry season when there isn't frequent rain to clear the smoke from the air. Some people have seasonal allergies. - May 2022
Seasonally bad, particularly when they are burning trash. There are certainly worse places most of the time. A lot of people really rely on the air purifiers in their houses. - Aug 2019
Kinshasa's air quality is quite poor. Cars are not kept in good condition, everyone burns their garbage, and most Kinois cook by burning wood or charcoal outside. The Embassy began purchasing home air filters in 2018 and has been slowly doling them out. During the dry season the air gets particularly bad, which is a shame because it's the one part of the year when it's cool enough to enjoy being outside. - Apr 2019
Moderate to bad, lots of trash burning and old vehicles on the road. Quality as regards health is not as significant as other posts but the smoke-y smell gets annoying and people with severe asthma or something likely wouldn't do well - Dec 2017
Not very good. - Dec 2017
In the rainy season the air quality is better but there is a lot of smoke. During the dry season the dust is so heavy that it makes the sky seem hazy and holds in the heat and smoke. - Mar 2017
The only issues with air quality are when neighbors burn trash, creating noxious fumes from the plastic. This is case-by-case and there's no way to predict if it will be a problem for you or not. Overall, the air is pretty fresh, especially outside of the city center. - Jan 2017
Moderate. I am not sure that the pollution levels were particularly bad, but the constant haze of humidity trapped everything in. - Sep 2016
People burn a lot of trash here, so there is a constant "whiff" of either burning, or waiting to be burned, trash. You get used to it, and I haven't felt like it has been particularly unhealthy. It is very humid as well, so for some people the humidity might make the air quality less than desirable. - Apr 2016
Air quality is moderate, somewhat dusty in the dry season. Burning trash and leaves is common so you can find yourself engulfed in thick smoke briefly if the wind shifts. Many vehicles belch black smoke so, again, you can find yourself engulfed briefly until you can pass. - Jan 2014
Moderate. Depends where you are in the city. In the diplomatic neighborhoods it's perfectly fine, although there is some dust and allergens. In other parts of the city there is a lot of car-exhaust pollution, burning trash, and other particulate. The city is generally dirty, though over the past year they have made a pretty good effort to clean up parts of it. - Nov 2012
Not good. - May 2012
Moderate. The cars on the road are not in good condition and there is a lot of exhaust in the air. It can be very dusty in the dry season, there can be a lot of burning trash, brush, construction excess, and tires, and there is a lot of trash in the streets. - Feb 2012
Moderate. - Nov 2011
Should be OK, I guess - Aug 2011
Yes, there is constant smoke in the air from the numerous trash piles being burned throughout the area. There is little or no infra-structure to deal with trash, and it is very common for people to just burn what ever trash they have. There is no EPA or Clean Air Act here. Vehicles have no emission standards to meet, and diesel is the fuel of choice. The gasoline is leaded, so anything with a converter is burned out in a few months of use. In the ‘dry’ season, Kinshasa can be a dusty dirty place with the amount of traffic stirring things up. In the ‘dry’ season there are fires burning everywhere, clearing fields, trash fires that get into the vegetation, careless smokers. etc.. Most buildings are concrete and block, so structural fires are not common. - Jan 2011
A lot of particulate matter from cars, dust (especially in dry season), and fires (as people burn waste all the time). - Oct 2010
