Tag: EANET Fellowship

Navigating Progress and Future Initiatives: Highlights from the EANET WG2023 Meeting

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

30 August 2023 – Bangkok, Thailand

The Working Group Meeting in 2023 (WG2023) on the EANET was held online on 22 and 23 August 2023. Over 50 representatives from the 13 EANET countries, the Secretariat and the Network Center for the EANET, participated in the meeting to discuss past activities, proposed projects for 2024, and important administrative matters.

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Activities in 2022 and 2023: Collaborative Efforts for Better Air Quality in East and Southeast Asia

The completion of EANET projects in 2022 and ongoing activities in 2023 were presented during the WG2023 meeting. The Secretariat underscored its commitment to Core Activities from 2022 to July 2023. These included organizing the EANET major annual meetings, leading partnership and communication activities, and awareness sessions, such as the EANET Regional Awareness Workshop in Bangkok and National Awareness Workshops in Lao PDR and in the Philippines.

The Network Center highlighted activities spanning 2022 and 2023, including continued acid deposition and air quality monitoring, QA-QC and capacity building activities, and also Individual Training, the Emission Inventory Webinar Workshop, and the MICS-Asia Workshop. Notably, 2022 Projects were successfully completed, and eight Project Activities were launched in 2023. Among the 2023 projects was the VOC Advisory Group Meeting in Manila, a component of the broader Feasibility for Promoting VOCs’ Related Capacity Building in the EANET project.

Screenshot of some of the WG2023 participants

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EANET Medium Term Plan Mid-Term Review’s Inception

The Mid-Term Review of the EANET Medium Term Plan (MTP) for 2021-2025 was introduced during the WG2023. The Secretariat and Evaluator leading the Review presented the Inception Report for the Mid-Term Review of the MTP. Participating Countries engaged in discussions, sharing their perspectives and suggestions on the Plan’s review.

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Draft EANET Project Plans for 2024

EANET’s Project Plans for 2024, submitted to the EANET Project Fund, came into focus during WG2023. The Network Center and Secretariat jointly introduced 12 EANET Project Plans for the upcoming year, ranging from continuing initiatives to new proposals. These projects included diverse subjects such as atmospheric deposition effects on ecosystems, VOC-related capacity building, air quality monitoring network development, and more. Participating Countries discussed potential overlaps, funding optimization, and suggestions to strengthen project proposals. Encouragement for external partnerships was highlighted.

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Modifications to EANET Project Fund and Project Guideline and Administrative and Financial Management Guideline

WG2023 included discussions on modifications to the EANET Project Fund and Project Guideline, and on revising the Guidelines on Administrative and Financial Management for the Secretariat and Network Center. The Secretariat presented the current Guidelines against proposed changes submitted by Participating Countries at the Online Meeting on the Revision of the Guidelines. Participating Countries engaged in extensive discussions to refine definitions and procedures.

After the WG2023, the Secretariat and Network Center will prepare a new draft of both Guidelines, integrating proposed changes from discussions, for further review by Participating Countries’ National Focal Points, and including review from UNEP and ACAP, hosts of the Secretariat and the Network Center for the EANET.

The revised Guidelines, along with the EANET Project Proposal, and the Mid-Term Review of the EANET MTP, will be further discussed at the Twenty-Third Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC23) online Meeting to be held in October 2023, and during the 25th Intergovernmental Meeting (IG25) on the EANET in November 2023, in Hanoi, Viet Nam.

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Find out more about EANET’s Project Fund and Project Activities.

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Photo credits: Photo of a Common Indian Crow in Krabi, Thailand (2020) by Erik Karits on Unsplash; all other photos, all rights reserved to EANET.

New Face of EANET Research Portal

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

29 September 2021 – Niigata, Japan

EANET researchers have been working collaboratively for 20 years to study mechanisms of acid deposition and its effects on ecosystems, resulting in various scientific publications. These aim at creating a common understanding of the state of acid deposition problems in East Asia, and to provide useful inputs for decision-making at the local, national, and regional levels. Recently, an updated version of the EANET Research Portal has been released, displaying detailed information on EANET research activities.

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20 Years of Research Activities

Why is research a central component of EANET’s activities? Since the early 2000s, collaboration on data monitoring and research has significantly improved knowledge on environmental urgencies in the region. With monitoring sites deployed in 13 countries in East Asia, scientists and researchers have access to unique data on acid deposition and air pollution.

In the decision-making process, policymakers need scientific-based evidence to guide their choices. They often use scientific results to evaluate the benefits of environmental policies and to shape government programs.

Over the years, EANET’s ability to bring together diverse players such as scientists, researchers, students, young professionals, and policymakers has made it a unique knowledge-sharing platform.

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Sharing Scientific Outputs and Fostering Collaboration Globally

The EANET Research Portal was created to promote research activities developed in the EANET community and to enhance the use of the EANET data by the scientific community globally.

The main objectives of this page are to introduce research activities conducted by the EANET community, share scientific outputs from the EANET research activities, demonstrate the importance of the EANET data for scientific research activities, and provide opportunities for joint research activities with the EANET community.

More specifically, users can access scientific articles produced by the EANET Community, Reports of the EANET Fellowships, EANET Science Bulletins, and a database of research articles using and/or mentioning EANET data.

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How Can Researchers Contribute to the Portal?

To expand the reach of this portal, Participating Countries are invited to share this page with their scientific peers at a national level, to link this page to their websites, and help improve its content by informing the EANET Network Center on any important paper using EANET data that might be missing from the database.

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Access the EANET Research Portal

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Interested in collaborating on a joint research project or on using EANET data? Contact the Network Center to find out more.

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Photo credits: All rights reserved to EANET.

EANET Research Fellowship Programme – The impacts of exposure to fine particulate matter on premature mortality in Bangkok, Thailand

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

EANET Fellowship 2018 featured image

1 December 2020 – Niigata, Japan

The Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET)’s fellowship program aims at funding researchers from the EANET’s participating countries to carry out research pertaining to acid deposition at the Network Center in Japan. Kessinee Unapumnuk, from Thailand, was awarded the EANET fellowship for 2018. She led her research on the impacts of exposure to fine particulate matter on premature mortality in Bangkok.

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The impacts of fine particulate matters on human health

Fine particulate matters (PM2.5) affect human health and can lead to premature death if exposed for a long time. Chronic exposure to PM2.5 increases the risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as lung cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 4.2 million premature deaths due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and cancers worldwide in 2016 related to the exposure to ambient PM2.5 in both urban and rural areas.

Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, has been experiencing frequent episodes of air pollution characterized by a high concentration of PM2.5 due to combustion emissions from multiple sources and stagnant metrological conditions from January to April every year. Transportation-related sources are the major contributions to the PM2.5 levels and result in poor air quality in the city.

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Understanding premature mortality attributable to PM2.5 in Bangkok’s districts

Unapumnuk has estimated premature mortalities caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer (LC), ischemic heart disease (IHD), and stroke attributed to long-term exposure to PM2.5 in several districts in Bangkok from 2010 to 2017.

In conclusion, the study suggests that a strict emission control of PM2.5 is needed in Bangkok to avoid significant mortality attributable to PM2.5.

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Under the EANET Research Fellowship program 2018, this study was conducted at the Asia Center for Air Pollution (ACAP), Niigata Japan. The author acknowledged the help received from the Asia Centre for Air Pollution Research (ACAP) for performing the research as well from the Thai Pollution Control Department and the Ministry of Public Health.

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Read the full article by Unapumnuk et al. in the EANET Science Bulletin Volume 5.

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Photo credits: Bangkok by Nick van den Berg, free of the copyright license.

EANET Research Fellowship Programme – Study on the impacts of air pollution transport and its effects to human health in Cambodia

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

17 February 2021 – Niigata, Japan

The Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET)’s fellowship programme aims at funding researchers from the EANET’s Participating Countries to carry out research pertaining to acid deposition at the Network Center in Japan. Kong Savuth, from Cambodia, was awarded the EANET fellowship in 2018. Mr. Savuth’s research described human health effects of exposure to air pollutants, namely, ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM2.5) in reference to the WHO Air quality guidelines (2005).

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Impacts of air pollutants on human health

PM2.5 can penetrate deep inside the lungs and contribute to increasing the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases including lung cancer. According to recent epidemiological studies, reducing the annual average PM2.5 concentrations of 10 μg m-3 could result in a significant reduction of premature mortality.

Ground-level O3 can cause respiratory problems leading to asthma, cough, inflammation of the respiratory tract, chronic bronchitis, and lung damage. A high-level concentration of O3 also causes premature mortality.

WHO estimates that in 2016, some 58% of outdoor air pollution-related premature deaths were due to ischaemic heart disease and strokes, while 18% of deaths were due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute lower respiratory infections respectively, and 6% of deaths were due to lung cancer.

 

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Estimating premature mortality caused by PM2.5 and O3 in Cambodia

The researchers (Savuth and Yamashita) estimated premature mortality caused by the exposure to PM2.5 and O3 in Cambodia by using PM2.5 and O3 data simulated by CMAQ (Community Multiscale Air Quality – a chemical transport model) and Concentration-Response (C-R) functions.

 

Read the full study and its results, published in the EANET Science Bulletin, Vol 5.

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Under the EANET Research Fellowship programme 2018, this study was conducted at the Asia Center for Air Pollution (ACAP), Niigata, Japan. The researcher, Kong Savuth, acknowledged the support and facilities provide by ACAP and by the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan, for performing the research.

Photo credits: Cambodia by Daniel Kirsch, free of the copyright license.

EANET Research Fellowship Programme – Komarovka river catchment analysis by long-term observations at the Russian EANET Primorskaya station

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

Komarovka river by Hiroyuki SASE

17 September – Niigata, Japan

The Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET)’s fellowship program aims at funding researchers from the EANET’s participating countries to carry out research pertaining to acid deposition at the Network Center in Japan. Ekaterina Zhigacheva, from Russia, was awarded the EANET fellowship in 2017. She led her research on the investigation of atmospheric input and runoff discharge of sulphur and nitrogen compounds as the balance components of Komarovka river catchment by long-term observations at the Russian EANET Primorskaya station (for 2005 – 2015).

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The impact of acid deposition on rivers

Air pollution consists of significant amounts of compounds of sulphur and nitrogen. These compounds deposit on the earth’s surface through wet and dry depositions and cause detrimental impacts on the ecosystems and environment, including acidification of the water bodies, such as rivers and lakes.

Zhigacheva, in this study, analysed the components of the Komarovka river catchment at Russian EANET Primorskaya station using observations from 2005 to 2015. The goal of the study was to evaluate the effects of pollution on regional ecosystems.

 

The author acknowledged the help received from the EANET Primorskaya site and PCEM laboratory for data and financial support and facilities from the Asia Centre for Air Pollution Research (ACAP) for performing the research.

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Read the full article by Zhigacheva et al. in the EANET Science Bulletin Volume 5.

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Photo credits: Komarovka river by Hiroyuki SASE, all rights reserved.

EANET Research Fellowship Programme (2016-2018) – Comparison of Observed and Modeled Nitrogen Dioxide Accounting Meteorological Conditions and Oxides of Nitrogen Emissions in China

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

 

Fellowship_China_2016

21 July 2020 – Niigata, Japan

EANET’s fellowship program aims at funding researchers from EANET participating countries to carry out research pertaining to acid deposition at the Network Center in Japan. Cuihong Chen from China was awarded the EANET fellowship for 2016. Chen studied the comparison of observed and modeled nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from 2013 to 2015, during summer, accounting sensitivity of meteorological conditions, and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emission constraints.

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Identifying NOx Emission Sources to Minimize Emissions

NOx is an important trace gas in the atmosphere, emitted mainly from anthropogenic sources, such as the combustion of fossil fuels. It plays a key role in atmospheric chemistry by involving in the formation of ozone and secondary particulate matter. Over the past several years, NOx emissions in China have been increasing rapidly and are resulting in serious atmospheric pollution problems, such as acidic rain, atmospheric haze, and high ozone concentration. This in turn causing harm to human health, environment, and ecosystem. Therefore, identifying NOx emission sources and efforts to minimize the emissions are necessary. Chen’s research findings provided a good insight into the relationship between satellite observation and modeling of NO2.

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Meteorological  and NOx Emissions’ Impacts on NO2

For the study, Chen used NASA’s satellite data and chemical transport models. She found a good correlation (slope 1.15 and a correlation coefficient of 0.79) between satellite NO2 and Modeled NO2. The study reported an increase in tropospheric NO2 by 4.26% in 2014 compared to that of 2013. The impacts of meteorological conditions and NOx emissions on the increase of tropospheric NO2 in 2014 were 2.95% and 1.31%, respectively. The meteorological fields contributed a 3.57% increase in tropospheric NO2 in 2015.

The study concluded that NOX emission increased in 2014 and decreased in 2015 during the summer, compared to the level of 2013. The reduction of NO2 in 2015 was mainly due to the decline of NOX emissions in China because of the implementation of emission reduction and control measures. The researcher suggested that uncertainty in satellite data and model simulation are needed to be reduced by the development of a non-linear relationship approach in future studies.

 

The authors acknowledged the Network Center for the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) and the Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP) for financial support and observation data.

Read the full article by Chen et al. in the EANET Science Bulletin Volume 5.

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Photo credits: Shanghai by Derek Lee, free of copyright license.

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