Levels of air pollution in Asian cities regularly exceed World Health Organization (WHO) recommended guidelines with smoke and dust particles being double the world average. The main cause of urban air pollution is the use of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) in transport, power generation, industry, and domestic sectors. In addition, the burning of biomass such as firewood, agricultural and animal waste also contributes to pollution levels. Pollutant emissions have direct and indirect effects (e.g. acidification, eutrophication, ground-level ozone).
It
is often the poor and socially marginalised who tend to suffer disproportionately
from the effects of urban air pollution due to living near sources of pollution.
The ubiquitous Asian street hawker who sits beside strategic road junctions
experiencing the general hustle and bustle of daily life and traffic is
being exposed to high concentrations of motor vehicle pollutants increasing
the risk of developing respiratory disease and cancer. Children ill with
respiratory disease caused by being exposed to high concentrations of air
pollutants will be children that will not learn very well, will suffer in
adult life from low levels of qualifications and skills which in turn has
implications for their quality of life and the economic development of the
country as a whole.
The severity of air pollution problems in Asian cities reflects the level
and speed of their economic development and the effectiveness of past air
quality management (AQM) and current efforts. Each city is unique in terms
of its economic, physical and social characteristics which influence the
spatial and temporal patterns of emission sources and air pollution problems.
Indicators
of air quality in the largest cities of Asia show that although many of
these cities are among the most polluted in the world, air quality in a
number of cities has generally been improving over the past few years. To
improve air quality further, Asian cities must respond to the combined pressures
of rapid growth in urban population, transport, economic development, and
energy consumption. Asia is expected to account for most of the growth in
world economic activity up to 2025. Asia currently has approximately one
billion people living in urban areas, and this number is growing at an average
of 4 per cent per year.
Many
Asian governments have recognised air pollution as a key environment problem
that needs to be addressed. Those cities which have been able to introduce
emission control early in their development path (e.g. Hong Kong, Tokyo
and Singapore) have avoided the extremely high levels of urban pollution
that are often associated with other cities that have introduced emission
control measures later. The earlier integrated AQM systems are introduced,
the lower the maximum pollution levels that will occur.
The Foundation Course on Air Quality Management in Asia
aims to enhance capacity by providing a good grounding in the key components
relevant to managing urban air quality.
