About

Why this project exists

Global Air & Water Observatory helps people understand two critical public-health indicators: PM2.5 air pollution and safely managed drinking-water coverage. We combine reputable public datasets into clear dashboards so non-specialists can still make evidence-based decisions.

Mission and scope

We focus on global comparability, not hyper-local forecasting. The platform is intended for education, public communication, and early policy exploration.

We are not a replacement for national regulatory portals or emergency alert systems. For official advisories, users should always consult their local environmental authority.

How we work

Public-interest first: we prioritize clarity and transparency over growth metrics.
Source traceability: every chart and ranking links back to a verifiable public dataset.
Methodology openness: aggregation rules are documented and versioned in source control.
Accessibility by default: readable contrast, keyboard-friendly navigation, and semantic HTML.

Data provenance

Air-quality figures are sourced from OpenAQ PM2.5 readings. Water-coverage indicators come from the World Bank dataset SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS. Country metadata is enriched via Rest Countries.

When live API calls fail, the platform may display clearly labeled fallback samples so pages stay functional. Source labels are shown directly on dashboard pages for transparency.