Tag: ACAP

Kick-off Meeting – Stocktaking and Methodological Assessment of Emissions Inventories and Source Apportionment of Air Pollution in Southeast Asia

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

Bangkok, 18 April 2024

The Secretariat for the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) and the Asian Institute of Technology – Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (AIT RRC.AP), organized the kick-off meeting of the project “Stocktaking and Methodological Assessment of Emissions Inventories and Source Apportionment of Air Pollution in Southeast Asia” on 26 March 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. The objective of the meeting was to better understand the emissions inventories and source apportionment situation in the countries of Southeast Asia and discuss with project partners and experts the framework for metadata analysis and project ideas on emission inventories and source apportionment studies in the region.

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Opening Session

Representatives from the National Air Emission Inventory and Research Center (NAIR) in Korea, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Philippines, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Centre Interprofessionnel Technique d’Etudes de la Pollution Atmosphérique (CITEPA), the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Clean Air Asia (CAA), the Bandung Institute of Technology in Indonesia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, the Asia Center For Air Pollution Research (ACAP), the Regional Resource Center For Asia and the Pacific (RRC.AP), the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Thailand, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the EANET Secretariat attended the meeting with a total of 28 participants.

Dr. Mushtaq Memon from UNEP opened the meeting, and, in his remarks, he stressed the importance of regional mechanisms like EANET for addressing air pollution. He highlighted the need for emission inventories, supportive policies, air quality standards, stakeholder engagement, and public awareness.

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Expert Insights from the EANET Participating Countries and Non-governmental Organizations

Experts from the EANET region and Europe presented use cases on emission inventories and source apportionment in different settings.

Dr. Ekbordin Winijkul from AIT discussed Thailand’s emission inventory experience, emphasizing an integrated approach to air quality management, and outlining the plans for the Thailand National Emission Inventory project. Dr. Jongmin Joo from NAIR introduced the Clean Air Policy Support System (CAPSS) and the Republic of Korea’s National Emissions and Air Quality Assessment System (NEAS), detailing their methodologies and their integration into policymaking and governmental acknowledgment. Mr. Jundy del Socorro from EMB, Philippines, discussed emission inventory development, highlighting methodologies and regional contributions to air pollutants, as well as introducing the Philippines’ Integrated Information System (IIS) for data coordination.

Dr. Zbigniew Klimont from IIASA presented the Greenhouse Gas Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model, emphasizing its use in assessing emission control strategies’ cost-effectiveness and showcasing case studies in Asia. Dr. Sophie Moukhtar from CITEPA discussed emissions inventories under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP), emphasizing their importance and reporting obligations. Dr. Chris Malley from SEI presented the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning Integrated Benefits Calculator (LEAP-IBC) for integrated air pollution and climate change mitigation assessment, while Mr. Enrique Mikhael Cosep from CAA discussed emission inventories and source apportionment challenges in Asia.

Dr. Jun-ichi Kurokawa from ACAP presented the EANET’s activities related to emission inventories and source apportionment, highlighting ongoing projects.

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Project Discussion

The project kick-off meeting continued with discussions among participants on how to develop a relevant framework for metadata analysis of the studies in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Ram Lal Verma from AIT RRC.AP provided an initial review of existing emission inventories in Southeast Asian countries, highlighting available research studies and developed inventories in several countries in the region. Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh from AIT discussed the meta-analysis of emission inventory and source apportionment databases in Southeast Asia, proposing a framework and sharing database templates.

Participants expressed insights on follow-up activities and projects of EANET, emphasizing the need to avoid duplication of work and standardize frameworks for emission inventories and source apportionment methodologies. It was agreed that government involvement is crucial for data collection and quality assurance when developing emission inventories. Participants stressed the necessity of regional mechanisms to harmonize emission inventories’ methodologies and processes.

Source apportionment studies were noted as important but lacking in ASEAN countries, requiring capacity building and resources. Volatile Organic Compound speciation and Greenhouse gas emissions’ emission inventories processes were suggested for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Finally, lessons from the European Union’s common frameworks for emission inventories were discussed as an important model to consider for the ASEAN region.

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The next meeting of the project will be held on 29 May in Bangkok, Thailand, back to back with the EANET Regional Awareness Workshop.

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The project Stocktaking and Methodological Assessment of Emissions Inventories and Source Apportionment of Air Pollution in Southeast Asia is being conducted with the support of the EANET Project Fund.

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View the meeting’s photos.

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Photo credits: all rights reserved to EANET.

Advancing Emission Inventory Management for Combustion Sources: Insights from the EANET Workshop

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

Bangkok, 22 February 2024

The Network Center for the EANET organized a virtual Emission Inventory Workshop on Combustion Sources on December 11, 2023. The event featured expert lectures and brief participant presentations. The first session covered key topics such as the importance of emission inventory in managing atmospheric environmental issues, methodologies for estimating emissions from stationary sources and the transportation sector, and the framework of national emission inventory. Participants also shared the status and pertinent data on emissions from combustion sources in their respective countries and discussed ideas for EANET’s involvement in addressing combustion emissions. Approximately 60 participants attended the workshop.

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Exploring Emission Inventory Strategies: Insights from Expert Lectures

Dr. Toshimasa Ohara from the Center for Environmental Science in Saitama, Japan delivered a lecture on the significance of emission inventories in managing atmospheric environmental issues. The presentation began with an overview of air pollution status and historical trends of emissions in East Asia. It then covered fundamental aspects of emission inventories such as estimation methodologies, types, target species, and their role in atmospheric environmental management. Additionally, examples were provided on how emission inventories are applied, including assessing the impacts of control measures and utilizing them as input data for air quality model simulations.

Dr. Jun-ichi Kurokawa, from the Asia Center for Air Pollution Research, delivered two lectures. The first focused on methodologies for estimating emissions from stationary sources. It began with an introduction to the basic principles of developing emission inventories and included examples of calculating emissions from a coal-fired power plant. The lecture then detailed the actual procedures for estimating emissions, following the process flow of emission inventory development: defining scope and structure, designing methodology, collecting necessary data (e.g. activity data, emission factors, and reduction rates), and finally calculating emissions and creating final products. A case study on the evaluation of emission controls for SO2 in Japan was also presented. The second lecture covered various issues related to emission inventory, including methodologies for developing gridded emission data, evaluating uncertainties in emission inventories, and inverse modeling. Additionally, the lecture explored the interrelationships among emission inventories, monitoring, modeling, and stakeholders, including policymakers.

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Figure 1- Screenshot of some participants during the Workshop

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Dr. Didin Agustian Permadi, from the National Institute of Technology in Bandung, Indonesia, delivered a lecture on emission inventories for the transport sector, focusing on on-road mobile sources, civil aviation, and shipping. For on-road mobile sources, the lecture covered methodologies for estimating emissions from road vehicles, including both basic approaches using bulk emission factors and advanced methods accounting for running and start-up emissions. The presentation also introduced on-road transport emission models such as the International Vehicle Emission Model (IVE). Regarding civil aviation, the lecture discussed emissions from airport activities and during cruising, presenting three levels of methodologies to estimate these emissions. Procedures for estimating shipping emissions were also provided. Case studies demonstrating the calculation of emissions from airports and major harbors in Indonesia were presented to illustrate the application of these methodologies.

Dr. Jongmin Joo, from the National Air Emission Inventory and Research Center in the Republic of Korea, presented a lecture on the national official emission inventory, focusing on the National Air Pollutant Emission Inventory of the Republic of Korea. The lecture began with an introduction to the Clean Air Policy Support System (CAPSS) of the Republic of Korea, an air pollutant emissions estimation system operating at a national level. The framework of the CAPSS system was outlined, followed by discussions on methodologies for estimating emissions from point sources, mobile sources, and area sources. The presentation included emission estimation results for 2020, as well as procedures for emissions recalculation for the years 2016 to 2019. Future plans for CAPSS were also discussed, which involve identifying previously unaccounted sources such as small and medium-sized businesses and fertilizers in farmland. Additionally, plans were presented for establishing a Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) emissions inventory and developing a health risk assessment system.

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Addressing Combustion Emissions: Participants’ perspectives

During the second session, participants exchanged information on significant combustion sources, discussing the air pollution status and control measures in their countries. They also highlighted ongoing activities related to emission inventories. In the ensuing discussions, many countries identified the continuous enhancement of national emission inventories as a challenge and expressed the desire for additional EANET projects focusing on capacity-building activities. Suggestions included not only webinars but also on-site training courses. The Network Center for the EANET, as the workshop organizer, will assess potential future activities through the EANET Project Fund.

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Find out more about the EANET Project Fund.

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Useful Resources

Download the Workshop’s presentations

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Photo credits: featured photo by Eduardo Cano Photo Co. on Unsplash, free of copyrights; other pictures: all rights reserved to EANET.

Advancing Atmospheric and Environmental Monitoring in Asia: Technical Missions Supporting EANET Countries in 2023 and 2024

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

Bangkok, 20 February 2024

The Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP), as the Network Center (NC) for the EANET, has undertaken a series of technical missions aimed at supporting EANET Participating Countries to conduct their monitoring activities, e.g. Wet and Dry Deposition of atmospheric pollutants, inland, soil & vegetation and catchment monitoring, and meteorological data. From Mongolia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Cambodia, these missions have sought to enhance environmental monitoring capabilities and facilitate collaboration among stakeholders.

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Enhancing Monitoring Infrastructures in Mongolia

In Mongolia, the technical mission took place from 12th to 19th November 2023 in Ulaanbaatar and focused on updating monitoring site information and providing advanced technical guidance on the analysis of ion chromatography results. Additionally, a new rain sensor was deployed to enhance data accuracy. Meetings with the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring (NAMEM), the Central Laboratory of Environment and Meteorology (CLEM), the German-Mongolia Institute for Resources and Technology (GMIT), and the National University of Mongolia took place and aimed at deepening the understanding of EANET activities, particularly in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) monitoring. Successful training sessions on VOCs monitoring, utilizing the sorbent tubes method, were conducted to reinforce local capacities.

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Technical Knowledge Exchange in Indonesia

The technical mission in Indonesia took place from 11th to 16th December 2023 in Jakarta and Bandung, in partnership with the Secretariat for the EANET. It involved collaboration with laboratories affiliated with EANET activities. Visits were made to key institutions such as the Ministry of the Environment and Forestry, PSILKH Serpong, BMKG Jakarta, and BRIN Bandung, where technical guidance was provided, and feedback was collected. Discussions revolved around potential institutional arrangements to strengthen EANET implementation in Indonesia, promoting improved coordination and efficiency in environmental monitoring. During the mission, the NC representatives also met with the ASEAN Secretariat to discuss possible collaboration opportunities.

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Pictures from the technical missions in Cambodia, Mongolia, and Lao PDR (Indonesia: see cover image above).
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Strengthening Monitoring Infrastructures in Lao PDR

In Lao PDR, the technical mission took place in Vientiane, from the 11th to 15th December 2023. A visit was made to the Natural Resources and Environment Research Institute (NRERI), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE). It included a comprehensive assessment of monitoring infrastructures and procedures. Maintenance work was undertaken on monitoring equipment, including the Wet-Only sampler and Filter Pack, to ensure precise data collection. Technical guidance was shared on inspection procedures and analytical methodologies, particularly focusing on ion chromatography. Additionally, knowledge exchange through meetings and discussions on EANET activities facilitated enhanced collaboration among stakeholders.

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Sustaining Environmental Monitoring Efforts in Cambodia

The mission in Cambodia took place in Phnom Penh, from the 8th to the 12th of January 2024. It focused on sustaining continuous monitoring efforts for various pollutants. A visit was made to the Ministry of Environment, Cambodia, to provide maintenance and calibration of the ozone monitor, which was installed in 2019 through the IBAQ Programme, alongside training sessions to ensure effective ozone data reporting. Technical assistance was extended for repairing sampling systems and optimizing ion chromatography procedures, thereby strengthening the country’s capacity for environmental monitoring.

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The NC for the EANET’s technical missions across Mongolia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Cambodia have aimed at enhancing environmental monitoring capabilities and fostering collaboration among stakeholders. By providing specialized technical expertise and facilitating knowledge exchange, these missions significantly contribute to assisting Participating Countries’ efforts to provide high-quality air quality monitoring data and improve technical capabilities in the Region. The NC will conduct more technical missions in 2024 to support other EANET Participating Countries.

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Find out more about the EANET monitoring sites and download EANET data.

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Photo credits: all rights reserved to EANET.

The Twenty-fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Meeting on the EANET

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

30 November 2023 – Hanoi, Viet Nam

The Twenty-fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Meeting on the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) (IG25) took place from 29 to 30 November 2023, in Hanoi, Viet Nam and online. Over 70 representatives from the EANET Participating Countries, UNEP and ACAP, the Secretariat and Network Center for the EANET, participated in the discussions related to the network’s 2024 activities and to address air quality issues in the region.

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Regional Cooperation Fighting Acid Deposition and Air Pollution

Hosted and chaired by Viet Nam, the IG25 started with the Welcome Remarks by His Excellency Mr. Le Cong Thanh, Vice Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), followed by opening Remarks by Ms. Marlene Nielsson, Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, UNEP, and by Dr. Hatakeyama, Director General, Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP).

His Excellency Mr. Le Cong Thanh delivering the Opening Remarks.

His Excellency Mr. Le Cong Thanh emphasized the significant challenges of air pollution and acid deposition in Viet Nam and globally. He highlighted the efforts of MONRE in developing legal frameworks and a nationwide monitoring network and expressed appreciation for the EANET’s contributions over the past twenty years. Ms. Nilsson underscored the significance of multilateralism in tackling environmental challenges, particularly acid deposition and air pollution, highlighting EANET’s expanded role in policy actions and capacity building for improved air quality. Dr. Shiro Hatakeyama highlighted the successful outcomes of the expansion of scope and the Project Fund adopted two years ago, specifically citing the Hybrid Air Quality Monitoring Network (HAQMN) project’s positive results with Low-Cost Sensors (LCS).

The IG25 Session was chaired by Viet Nam, vice-chaired by Lao PDR and Cambodia, and Thailand was elected Rapporteur.

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Over US$600,000 allocated to Building Government Capacity and Addressing Air Quality Management Issues in the Region

In addition to the Core Budget of the EANET to support its activities focused on monitoring, and supporting its meetings, the IG25 approved eleven EANET Projects in 2024 primarily focusing on capacity building for government officials but also concerning key air quality management-related issues such as on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), low-cost sensors (LCS), emissions inventories, and source apportionment projects in the region.

The EANET Projects for 2024 received funding through the EANET Project Fund, EANET’s financial mechanism allowing collaboration with implementation partners and co-financing from outside the EANET Network.

The total funding for Project Activities in 2024 is $605,000, including funding from the EANET Secretariat and NC funds, additional financial support from Japan (MOEJ), and from the Republic of Korea (NIER).

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Ways forward

In addition to these key decisions, the IG25 also approved several important documents, such as the Work Program and Budget of the EANET in 2024, including the organization of key meetings in 2024 such as the Working Group Meeting in 2024 (WG2024), the 24th Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC24) and the 26th Session of the Intergovernmental Meeting on the EANET (IG26), and the process to finalize the revision of the EANET’s Administrative and Financial Guidelines and of the EANET Project Fund and Project Guideline.

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Read the Report of IG25 and discover the meeting’s pictures on Flickr.

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Photos credits: all rights reserved to EANET.

The Twenty-fourth Senior Technical Managers’ Meeting on the EANET

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

5 September 2023 – Bangkok, Thailand

The Twenty-fourth Senior Technical Managers’ Meeting (STM24) on the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) took place in Niigata, Japan and online, on 29 and 30 August 2023. The Meeting gathered over 40 senior technical officials from the 13 EANET Participating Countries to discuss the status of the Network’s monitoring activities.

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EANET Monitoring Activities in 2022

Dr. Shiro Hatakeyama, the Director General of the Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP), delivered the Opening Remarks, followed by Welcome Remarks by Mr. Bert Fabian, the Coordinator of the Secretariat for the EANET.

After presenting the progress of EANET activities in 2022 since STM23, the Network Center for the EANET (NC) shared the results of various reports on acid deposition and related substances monitoring activities. STM24 participants were invited to discuss and share knowledge and experience to collectively review these draft publications.

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Some Participants of the STM24 in Niigata, Japan

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Overview of the Preliminary Draft Data Report 2022 and Evaluation of the Results of the Inter-laboratory Comparison (ILC) Projects 2022

The NC presented the Preliminary Draft Data Report 2022. This report focuses on wet deposition, dry deposition (air concentration), soil and vegetation, inland aquatic environment, and catchment-scale monitoring. It includes a summary of the monitoring data in 2022 and related information submitted by the Participating Countries.

The NC also introduced the preliminary draft Report on the Inter-laboratory Comparison Projects in 2022 for wet deposition, dry deposition (filter pack method), soil, and inland aquatic environment.

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Consideration of the National Monitoring Plans (NMPs), Current Monitoring Activities for the EANET, and Overall Air Concentration Monitoring Status of the Participating Countries

In line with previous STM meetings’ process, representatives of the Participating Countries presented their National Monitoring Plans (NMPs) and current EANET activities, including monitoring capacities, technical challenges, and future plans, while focusing on the general improvement of the activities of the EANET.

Dr. Meng Fan, Deputy Director General, ACAP, delivered the Closing Remarks. He expressed his great appreciation for the improvement of the data quality due to the efforts of the Participating Countries and hoped that the EANET monitoring, research, and capacity-building activities would continue to be strengthened through the expansion of the scope of the EANET.

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The Report of the STM24 will soon be available on the Meeting Reports page. View the STM24 photos on Flickr.

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Find out more, and access EANET data on the Monitoring System page.

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Photo credits: cover photo of Japanese rice farm by S. Tsuchiya (2022), other images, all rights reserved to EANET.

National Stakeholders’ Awareness Workshop in Lao PDR on EANET in 2023

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

3 May 2023 – Vientiane, Lao PDR

The National Stakeholder Awareness Workshop in Lao PDR on EANET: Promoting acid deposition and air quality management in East Asia was held in Vientiane, on 2 May 2023, in cooperation with the Natural Resource and Environment Research Institute (NRERI), Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment (MoNRE), Lao PDR. It aimed at showcasing the achievements and activities of the EANET over the last 20 years and encouraging cooperation between EANET and Lao stakeholders in the implementation of the EANET’s expanded scope and Project Fund activities. The Workshop was held at the NRERI, and gathered about 45 participants from government agencies, academic institutions, and NGOs. It was co-chaired by Mr. Lonkham Atsanavong, Director General of the NRERI, MoNRE, and Mr. Bert Fabian, Coordinator of the Secretariat for the EANET.

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Strengthening Acid Deposition and Air Quality Management in Lao PDR

The National Stakeholder Awareness Workshop in Lao PDR on EANET was inaugurated by the Opening Remarks of Mr. Lonkham Atsanavong and the introduction to the Workshop’s objectives by Mr. Bert Fabian. These were followed by presentations by Dr. Keiichi Sato, Head of Atmospheric Research Department, Asian Center for Air Pollution (ACAP), Network Center of the EANET; Mr. Vanhna Phanphongsa, Deputy Director, Environmental Laboratory, MoNRE, Lao PDR; and Ms. Bounmany Soulideth, Deputy Head of Division, MoNRE, Lao PDR and current Head of the ASEAN Technical Working Group on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

Dr. Keiichi Sato presented the overall progress of air quality monitoring activities in the EANET region over the past two decades, specifically focusing on the dissemination of monitoring data, capacity building, and regional cooperation, within the framework of the EANET. Mr. Vanha and Ms. Bounmany presented the status of acid deposition monitoring and air quality management in Lao PDR as well as the transboundary haze pollution and general air quality issues in Lao PDR.

In his presentation, Mr. Vanha highlighted interest in Laos for future collaboration on capacity building activities, specifically related to supporting maintenance, Ion Chromatography (IC) instrument & air quality monitoring stations QA/QC, training on PM2.5/ PM10 monitoring, ambient air quality monitoring, atmospheric data analysis, ambient air data mapping, emission inventory tools, and air quality modeling.

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National Stakeholders’ Awareness Workshop in Lao PDR on EANET in-person participants

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Air Quality Management Collaborative Efforts and Awareness Initiatives in Lao PDR

The objective of the panel discussion on Strengthening Acid Deposition and Air Quality Management in Lao PDR was to offer a forum to share information on air quality management and haze pollution. Representatives from government agencies  NGOs, and other development institutions participated actively in the panel discussion and shared their thoughts on the air pollution issues in the country.

The alarming increase in the heat index in Lao PDR and in the region in April 2023, combined with wildfires and high air pollution, has led to a collective agreement to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of air pollution. The government of Laos is taking various measures to address air pollution and raise public awareness about its impacts, including conducting public awareness activities led by the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment and collaborating with relevant sectors to prevent air pollution from the agricultural sector. The National University of Laos (NUOL) has also introduced a supplementary curriculum on air pollution and air quality control.

The collaboration between the government and local communities was emphasized, involving engagement with local authorities and residents in educational programs. In the agricultural sector, the cassava farming practice is becoming a significant concern, leading to nutrient degradation in the soil and farmers resorting to clearing more land. Facing this issue, support is being provided to community-managed areas for sustainable crop preparation, discouraging the shifting of cultivation sites and promoting the use of plant residues to reduce burning.

Local government entities are also encouraged to collaborate with research institutes and other sectors to manage and prevent air pollution. The World Bank, in partnership with the NRERI, is developing an environmental and waste management project, aiming to enhance communication and access to educational resources through the development of online platforms including a mobile application, for public air quality monitoring.

The National Awareness Workshop participants highlighted the status of air quality monitoring stations, identified major sources of air pollution, and emphasized the importance of capacity building and international cooperation in addressing the transboundary haze issue. While efforts are made to improve the air quality assessment, these need to be further strengthened. Collaboration among various local and international stakeholders is key to addressing the air quality issue in Lao PDR.

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Interested in participating in an EANET Project? Find out more on the EANET Project Fund.

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Useful resources:

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Photo credits: featured image: the scenery of southern Laos by Joule Benjarat, 2020, free of rights; all other photos: all rights reserved to EANET.

Experts from the Network Center for the EANET receive the Academic Award of the Japan Society for Atmospheric Environment for two Years in a row

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

29 September 2022 – Niigata, Japan

Dr. Tsuyoshi Ohizumi and Dr. Hiroyuki Sase received the Academic Award of the Japan Society for Atmospheric Environment (JSAE) at the 62nd and 63rd Annual Meetings of the JSAE in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Dr. Ohizumi serves as the Head of Data Management Department of the Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP), Network Center (NC) for the EANET, and Dr. Sase as the Head of Ecological Impact Research Department of the ACAP, NC for the EANET. Prior to these two awards, Dr. Junichi Kurokawa, Principal Researcher of the Data Management Department of ACAP, received the Creative Work Award for Young Scientists of JSAE under the award-winning title of “A study on emission inventory in Asia” in 2013.

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Award-Winning Studies on Effects of Acid Deposition in Japan and in the East Asian Region
Dr. Tsuyoshi Ohizumi

Dr. Ohizumi received the Academic Award of the Japan Society for Atmospheric Environment at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the JSAE in 2021 for his studies of the transboundary transportation of air pollutants by observation of sulfur isotopic composition.

Through his work, seasonal differences and major routes of inter-regional transport of pollutants were clarified by streamline analysis of air mass that causes acid precipitation and observation of fluoride and other substances in atmospheric deposition. In addition, the long-term interregional transport of sulfur oxides, the cause of acid rain, was also quantitatively evaluated by observing stable isotope ratios of sulfur in atmospheric deposition at sites along the Sea of Japan.

Dr. Hiroyuki Sase

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In 2022, Dr. Sase received the Academic Award of the Japan Society for Atmospheric Environment at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the JSAE for his various studies on the atmospheric environment and its effects on forest ecosystems in Japan and other East Asian countries.

Through EANET activities and joint research with the Participating Countries of the EANET, his work has significantly contributed to understanding the effects of acid deposition and air pollution on forest ecosystems in the East Asian region through field observation and data assessments over many years.

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The Japan Society for Atmospheric Environment

The Japan Society for Atmospheric Environment (JSAE) is an interdisciplinary organization that brings together experts in a wide range of fields with the aim of contributing to atmospheric environment conservation.

JSAE has four awards for achievements in the field of the atmospheric environment: the Academic Award, the Meritorious Contribution Award, the Technical Development Award, and the Best Paper Award.

Dr. Ohizumi and Dr. Sase received the Academic Award, the highest honor for researchers. The purpose of the Academic Award of JSAE is to honor members for their academic achievements in the field of atmospheric environment research, their social contributions to the promotion of atmospheric quality administration, and for their contribution to the development of JSAE.

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Find out more about EANET’s research activities on the EANET Research Portal.

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Photo credits: featured photo by  Chery Lee on Unsplash, other photos: all rights reserved to the EANET.

The EANET Science & Policy Dialogue in 2021

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

9 December 2021 – Bangkok, Thailand

The EANET Science & Policy Dialogue online event took place on Friday 26th of November 2021, alongside the EANET’s 20th Anniversary celebration,  gathering over one hundred participants from 30 countries to discuss better air quality for all.

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The Science & Policy Dialogue Opening and Keynote Sessions

The Science & Policy Dialogue online event followed the 20th Anniversary celebrations. It was inaugurated by Mr. Koki Azuma, Counsellor for Transboundary Pollution Analysis, General Affairs Division, Environmental Management Bureau, the Ministry of the Environment, Japan.

Dr. Hajime Akimoto, Guest Scientist at the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan, and also former Director-General of the Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP) presented the first Keynote Speech entitled: “Progress of Improvement, Challenges, and the Way forward on Air pollution Management in East Asia”. Dr. Markus Amann, Scientist from the Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP) Science Panel, and former Program Director at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), then presented the second Keynote Speech: “Bringing Science and Policy in Tackling Air Pollution: Lessons Learned from Europe and Asia”.

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Bridging Science and Policy: The perspective of Future Cooperation on Air Pollution in the Region, the Panel Discussion

The Science & Policy Dialogue continued with a Panel Discussion regrouping experts gathered to discuss: “Bridging Science and Policy: The perspective of Future Cooperation on Air Pollution in the Region”.

Dr. Fan Meng, Deputy Director General, Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP); Prof. Young Sunwoo, Director General of the International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations (IUAPPA); Dr. Supat Wangwongwatana, Senior Instructor of the Faculty of Public Health, Thammasat University, Thailand; Mr. Bjarne Pedersen, Executive Director, Clean Air Asia; Dr. Qingfeng Zhang, Chief of the Rural Development and Food Security Thematic Group, and OIC/Chief of the Environment Thematic Group at the Asian Development Bank (ADB); Dr. Markus Amann, Scientist, Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP) Science Panel and Dr. Hajime Akimoto, Guest Scientist, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan (NIES) joined this discussion.

Key discussion points included the importance of sound science-based information for policymakers, the necessity of improving communication among actors, as part of systemic approaches and in line with available funding strategies. The EANET’s strengths, including the Network’s longevity and its large number of Participating Countries, were also noted, highlighting its great opportunities for future wider collaborations at regional and international levels.

 
Useful Resources

Download the two Keynote presentations:

Read a more detailed summary of the events’ content in the EANET 20th Anniversary of the EANET and the Science & Policy Dialogue Event Report

View all the event’s videos on the Secretariat for the EANET’s YouTube channel and photos on Flickr.

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Photo credits: All rights reserved to EANET.

The EANET Emission Inventory Workshop in 2021

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

19 October 2021 – Bangkok, Thailand

The Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP), the Network Center (NC) for the EANET, organized the EANET Emission Inventory Workshop on 18 October 2021, gathering over 50 participants from 9 countries, to develop regional air quality management skills.

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Why are emission inventories important?

To tackle atmospheric environment problems, it is essential to understand the status of air pollutants’ emissions and consider mitigation measures’ effectiveness. The emission inventory is an essential tool to obtain such information and to build appropriate atmospheric environmental policies.

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Figure 1 – extract from the Emission Inventory Workshop presentation introduction slides

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Building Capacity at a Regional Level

The objectives of the EANET Emission Inventory Workshop were to understand the role of an emission inventory in air quality management, obtain general information on an emission inventory, and learn basic knowledge on the development and application of an emission inventory.

For this purpose, invited experts provided five lecture presentations on developing and applying an emission inventory. Furthermore, the participants, selected by the National Focal Points (NFPs) of each EANET Participating Country, delivered short presentations about issues related to national emission inventories in their countries.

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Figure 2 – Presentation of the lectures that took place during the Emission Inventory Workshop, (including experts from the Japan Automobile Research Institute (JARI), the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan (NIES), and the King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT)).

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Through discussions among lecturers and participants, the event aimed to enhance participants’ knowledge and encourage the development of national emission inventories.

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Ways Forward

In conclusion, participants emphasized the usefulness of such capacity-building activities and noted that it could be interesting, in the future, to focus the workshop’s content on regional specificities.

Participants also highlighted that both technical (such as providing guidelines) and financial aspects are necessary for conducting emission inventory activities. Taking these observations into account, it may be interesting to focus EANET’s future activities on this demand.

Furthermore, the participants pointed out the benefits of sharing emission inventories throughout the EANET region to better understand the atmospheric environment issues and compare methodologies, including emission factors.

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Find out more about technical capacity building by contacting the Network Center.

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Download the Workshop’s outline and key presentations.

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Photo credits: All rights reserved to the EANET.

EANET Individual Training in 2021

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

19 January 2022 – Niigata, Japan

The EANET Individual Training in 2021 was successfully organized online by the Network Center, from 4th to 19th November 2021, and included the participation of China, through the presentation of two virtual lectures. It aimed at providing participants from the EANET Participating Countries with technical support and capacity building on acid deposition monitoring. 

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Virtual Individual Training in 2021

Individual Training is a regular activity conducted yearly by the Network Center for the EANET (NC) which aims at improving the various monitoring skills of Participating Countries’ representatives. Individual Training sessions are usually conducted at the Network Center in Niigata, Japan, and tentatively planned for five or six trainees from the Participating Countries.

This year, due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions, the EANET Individual Training in 2021 was held via an online platform. It gathered 14 trainees from 7 EANET Participating Countries (namely from Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam). Furthermore, in total, approximately 50 observers from the EANET Participating Countries took part in the program.

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Improving Regional Monitoring Capabilities

During the Training, Scientists from the Network Center’s Planning and Training, Atmospheric Research, Ecological Impact Research, and Data Management Departments, delivered daily lectures. The main topics covered, among others, included the ecological effects of atmospheric deposition and EANET monitoring methods, automatic monitor maintenance, Quality Assurance, and Quality Control (QA/QC) activities, and data reporting procedures.

On the 17th of November, lectures were presented by Ms. Wang Xiaofei, from the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, and by Mr. Li Jie, from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, on China’s Atmospheric Air Monitoring, and on the Development of an Atmospheric Environment Forecasting System and MICS-ASIA III Program, respectively.

Through this training, participants have deepened their knowledge of laboratory work, data evaluation, and reporting.

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Interested in finding out more? Contact the Network Center for the EANET.

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Photo Credit: All rights reserved to the EANET.