Over six million people currently reside in shelters that fail to provide adequate indoor air quality (IAQ), influenced by factors such as inadequate ventilation, indoor cooking practices, and suboptimal design. The design of optimal ventilation systems in shelters is often deprioritized due to the urgency of deployment and cost considerations. Yet, prolonged exposure to substandard IAQ is a significant global health concern, leading to increased morbidity and mortality, particularly among vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly. SheltAir is the first tool designed specifically to assist shelter designers in creating effective natural ventilation systems. This Excel spreadsheet tool utilizes straightforward airflow equations to facilitate the design of optimal airflow configurations tailored to over 3,000 global locations. In an era marked by dwindling resources and escalating needs, this tool supports the shelter design process and enhances the living conditions for displaced individuals by ensuring adequate IAQ.

Specific Examples of Implementation

SheltAir has been validated through simulations in shelters located in diverse climates such as Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Nepal. In these settings, SheltAir accurately predicted ventilation rates and indoor CO2 levels, providing valuable insights for shelter designers. For instance, in Ethiopia, the tool identified optimal window placement and operation schedules to maintain adequate ventilation while considering cultural and security constraints.

Potential Solutions Arising from SheltAir’s Use

By deploying SheltAir, humanitarian organizations can design shelters that ensure better IAQ, reducing health risks such as respiratory infections and the spread of airborne diseases. The tool’s integration of occupant behavior and environmental factors enables it to suggest interventions that can be applied across different geographic regions, enhancing the resilience of shelters to various climatic challenges.

Specific Locations Included

The 3,000 locations included in SheltAir’s database have been selected based on the availability of weather files, ensuring coverage across all major regions worldwide. Users can input the exact longitude and latitude of their location of interest, and SheltAir will provide the option to select from the five closest locations with associated weather files. This feature allows for accurate climate data input, which is critical for computing airflow and ensuring reliable simulation results.

Licensing and Associated Costs

SheltAir is available for free to all users, ensuring broad accessibility, especially for humanitarian organizations and independent shelter designers. This open access is part of our commitment to improving shelter design and living conditions for displaced populations globally.

Open-Source or Licensed

SheltAir is freely available and not restricted by licensing, making it accessible to anyone who needs it. We believe that by providing this tool at no cost, we can significantly enhance the ability of organizations worldwide to design healthier, more resilient shelters for displaced communities. At the moment we can release SheltAir by contacting me directly, but as the journal publication we are preparing is published, we will release the official link.