Urban Air Pollution in Asia

The document serves as the first module of a foundation course on air quality management in Asia. It examines the primary drivers of urban air pollution, including fuel combustion from stationary sources and the significant impact of road traffic, particularly motorcycles and old diesel vehicles. It distinguishes between ambient, indoor, and transboundary air pollution, highlighting the severe health impacts of particulate matter (PM2.5) and the role of greenhouse gases in climate change. The text also assesses the air quality management (AQM) capabilities of 20 Asian cities, categorizing them from 'excellent' to 'limited'.

• Urban air pollution in Asia is estimated to cause 537,000 premature deaths annually, while indoor air pollution is responsible for more than double that number.
• Road traffic is a major contributor to urban air pollution in Asia, with motorcycles being particularly significant as the region has the largest motorcycle fleet in the world.
• Particulate matter (PM2.5) is identified as the most critical pollutant for health in Asia, estimated to cause 520,000 premature deaths and over 4 million years of life lost annually.
• Ambient air quality in 20 large Asian cities shows a general slow improvement for total suspended particulate (TSP) and sulphur dioxide (SO2), but PM10 levels remain high, with the mean concentration being approximately four times the WHO guideline value.
• Transboundary air pollution in Asia includes regional haze from forest fires, the Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC), regional dust, and acid deposition.
• The Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC) is a 3 km thick blanket of pollution primarily caused by fossil fuels and biomass burning in South Asia and the wider Asian region, reducing sunlight reaching the earth surface by 10 to 15 per cent.
• Acid rain is an emerging problem in Asia and the Pacific, with one third of China reported to be suffering from acid rain as of 2006.
• An assessment of 20 Asian cities using the WHO/UNEP/MARC capability index found that seven cities (Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Shanghai, Taipei, and Tokyo) have 'excellent' air quality management capability, while others like Dhaka, Hanoi, Kathmandu, and Surabaya have 'limited' capability.
• Climate change is expected to impact Asia through decreased freshwater availability in several regions by the 2050s and increased flood risks in heavily-populated delta regions.
• Air quality management (AQM) is described as a dynamic and iterative process that begins with defining air quality standards and involves monitoring, emissions inventories, and the implementation of control measures.

APA

Haq, G., & Schwela, D. (2008). Urban Air Pollution in Asia. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Atmospheric/Cleanair/download/Module1-URBANAIR-AirQualityManagement.pdf

Chicago

Haq, Gary, and Dieter Schwela. Urban Air Pollution in Asia. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2008. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Atmospheric/Cleanair/download/Module1-URBANAIR-AirQualityManagement.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Haq |first1=Gary |last2=Schwela |first2=Dieter |title=Urban Air Pollution in Asia |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2008 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Atmospheric/Cleanair/download/Module1-URBANAIR-AirQualityManagement.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{haq2008urban, author = {Haq, Gary and Schwela, Dieter}, title = {{Urban Air Pollution in Asia}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2008}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Atmospheric/Cleanair/download/Module1-URBANAIR-AirQualityManagement.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }