Megacities Air Pollution Lessons Learned Relevant to Asia
Abstract
Although considerable progress has been achieved in improving the urban air quality in developed and some developing countries, rapid population growth and economic development in many countries, especially in Asia, have generated high levels of emissions to the atmosphere, leading to severe air pollution that harms human health, causes regional haze, and contributes to climate change. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is the most pressing environmental health crisis in the world; it is responsible for more than 7 million deaths annually, with most of them occurring in Asia and Africa. The primary pollutants of health concerns are fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3). Recent advances in pollutant measurement technologies and improved air quality models are allowing atmospheric scientists to better understand the emission sources and fluxes, meteorological impacts and photochemistry leading to formation of ozone and secondary aerosols, as well as providing policy makers the tools to design effective mitigation strategies. Many countries are taking action to reduce atmospheric pollution, especially China, based on scientific and technical information, regulations, standards and policies. This talk will present examples of megacities and large urban centers experiencing air pollution problems, and offers insights into the complexity of managing air pollution based on robust and continuous scientific research to investigate the local processes that control air pollution, in addition to strong government commitments and public support. The lessons learned from these studies can be valuable for other urban centers, especially in the fast-growing countries in Asia confronting similar challenges.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFM.A54B..01M
- Keywords:
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- 0305 Aerosols and particles;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE;
- 0317 Chemical kinetic and photochemical properties;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE;
- 0345 Pollution: urban and regional;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE;
- 3311 Clouds and aerosols;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES