GHG and Air Pollution Co-benefits Analysis to Support Decision Making in Hyderabad, India

The increasing energy demand in the transport and industrial sectors accounts for a high carbon footprint in Hyderabad, India, and consequently to increasing air pollution. Integrated Environmental Strategies program under US EPA supported the analysis of Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (PCB), to identify the major sources of pollution (local and global) and prioritize a series of strategies to better address mitigation in a cost effective manner. In Hyderabad, under the current trends, PM10 and CO2 emissions in 2020 are estimated to increase ~50 percent, compared to 2006 levels to ~43.5 ktons and ~10.3 million tons respectively. A co-benefits framework was implemented in analyzing the future control scenarios for human health benefits and carbon savings. Overall, implementing a series of interventions ranging from urban planning including better transport planning with bus rapid transport and metro rail, relocation of industries, and waste management, are expected to reduce the local and global emissions below the 2006 levels and yield an estimated ~US 196 million and ~US 492 million, in 2010 and 2020 respectively, in combined benefits of health and carbon savings. The PCB is coordinating the efforts for planning and implementation of these strategies. This paper will focus on presenting the methodology utilized for estimating emissions, pollutant dispersion, and impact on local and global environments, evaluated against the business as usual scenarios.