Noise mapping and ambient sound recordings of the urban environment in Uganda

Abstract

Urban noise pollution is a growing public health concern, particularly in rapidly developing cities where regulatory enforcement is limited. High noise levels have been linked to adverse health effects, including stress, sleep disturbances, and cardiovascular issues. However, data-driven noise monitoring remains scarce in many low-resource settings, limiting efforts to develop effective mitigation strategies. To address this gap, we designed and deployed a large-scale noise data collection pipeline in Kampala and Entebbe, Uganda. Our approach integrates mobile-based tools to capture short audio recordings, categorizations of the type of noise, and sound pressure levels at specific locations. Over the course of the study, we collected 61,821 such annotated noise samples across five divisions in Kampala and four wards in Entebbe. This is to our knowledge the largest existing urban sound dataset, and the first time that the acoustic landscape of a developing-world city has been characterized in such detail. It provides valuable insights into urban noise pollution, forming a foundation for future noise mapping and mitigation efforts.