Air Quality Improvement Program in ASEAN

Majority of the cities in South East Asia often have air quality below the World Health Organisation’s air quality limits with only 2.7 percent of the cities meeting the WHO’s finer particles guideline. Pollutants of major concern include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, ammonia and lead.

The leading sources of air pollution in the region are industry, power generation, vehicular emissions and open burning.

Badly deteriorated air leads to significant health problems, including 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide in 2019, mainly in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions. Prolonged exposure to toxic air weakens resistance to respiratory diseases, increases the risk of lung cancer and heart disease, and shortens global average life expectancy by 2.2 years. By 2060, air pollution could cause up to 9 million early deaths annually, with estimated welfare costs of $18–25 trillion. Improving air quality can prevent chronic health conditions, reduce the burden on healthcare services, and decrease premature births and deaths.

Air pollution also occasions significant economic losses, reducing GDP by 1–2.5 percent in Asia by 2060 and 6.1% worldwide, and leading to annual global health costs of $8.1 trillion and 1.2 billion workdays lost due to pollution. These costs are linked to the reduction in productivity and increase in public health expenditure not to mention to a decline in the attractiveness of cities and territories.

Furthermore, air pollution aggravates climate change, harms biodiversity and ecosystems, and causes soil and water contamination, affecting crops and biodiversity. Short-Lived Climate Pollutants contribute to global temperature increases, and the causes of climate change often overlap with those of air pollution.

Action on air pollution is crucial for addressing both environmental and health concerns. Adequate monitoring and better air quality management are essential to mitigate its impacts on human health, the environment, and the economy.

Investing in air pollution control yields an estimated $30 in economic benefits for every $1 spent.

Furthermore, improving air quality should have the following positive impacts:

• fewer people will develop chronic health conditions, such as asthma, lung cancer, or high blood pressure which can lead to heart disease, stroke and dementia
• people who live with chronic conditions, especially lung conditions, will suffer fewer symptoms and enjoy better quality of life
• fewer people will suffer from acute illnesses, such as pneumonia or COVID-19
• fewer people will go to hospital, reducing pressure on health services and health workers
• the number of premature births and deaths due to air pollution will decrease.

The Air Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) is designed to support the ASEAN Member States in their efforts to develop comprehensive public policies for improving air quality at the national and regional levels.

It will contribute towards:

1. Greater awareness of air quality issues;
2. Better knowledge and monitoring of air quality in respective ASEAN Member States territories;
3. Strengthening of local capacities;
4. Preparation of guidelines and policy recommendations tailored to ASEAN.

In the long run, it is expected to enhance measures that will help cities and urban areas in ASEAN to be environmentally sustainable, while meeting the social and economic needs of the people as aligned with ASEAN Working Group on Environmentally Sustainable Cities Action Plan.

Within the framework of AQIP, different types of activities are implemented:

• Guidelines are established on particulate matter composition analysis, the elaboration of emission inventories in ASEAN as well as air quality and health co-benefits of climate policies.
• Training programs are created on the improvement of air quality monitoring and the establishment of a data management system; emissions inventories; engagement and policies toward the private sector; long term strategic planning of air quality.
• Stakeholders exchange on air quality monitoring and management. It includes field visits of monitoring networks and discussions on emission reduction strategies, action plans and innovative solutions.

The target beneficiaries of the AQIP project are local and national decision-makers in ASEAN member states, particularly the representatives from the environment agencies responsible for the development and implementation of air quality policies and regulations.

Under AQIP, the 671.6 million inhabitants of ASEAN can potentially benefit from improved air quality policy frameworks leading to less air pollution and consequently an improved quality of life.