Tag: event

The EANET Emission Inventory Webinar Workshop on Open Biomass Burning – Join us on December 5th!

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

 
1. Background

One of the key sources of particulate matter (PM) pollution in the EANET Participating Countries especially in Southeast Asia, is the open burning of biomass such as agricultural wastes, forests, and municipal wastes.

Open burning of agricultural crop residues is one of the key sources causing severe air pollution. Reducing emissions from agricultural waste burning is among the 25 recommended clean air measures in Air Pollution in the Asia Pacific: Science-Based Solutions (UNEP and CCAC, 2018).

It is essential to understand the current status of emissions from open biomass burning sources to consider effective mitigation ways. The emission inventory is a powerful tool for this purpose. However, methodologies to estimate emissions from open biomass burning are much different from those for other anthropogenic sources.

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2. Objectives and Participants

The objectives of the Emission Inventory Webinar Workshop are to learn basic methodologies to estimate emissions from open biomass burning sources including considerable uncertainties. In addition, application methodologies of the emission inventories to analyze influences of open biomass burning emissions will also be introduced. Furthermore, participants will share short presentations about issues related to open biomass burning in their country, and discussions with experts will be conducted.

Target workshop participants are technical officers, practitioners, and policymakers who are involved in air quality management issues, especially in charge of or interested in developing a national emission inventory.

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3. Agenda and Program

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4. Registration

If you would like to participate in the EANET Emission Inventory Webinar Workshop on Open Biomass Burning, please send the registration form to the Webinar Workshop Secretariat (eiwws2022@acap.asia).

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For further inquiries, contact the Network Center for the EANET.

The EANET/IIASA International Workshop on Strengthening the Science-Policy Interface for Clean Air and a Sustainable Future in Asia – Join us on 19 December!

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

Registration is now closed.

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1. Background

In many parts of Asia, the single greatest threat to human health and to a sustainable future is air pollution. A growing body of modeling research has employed emissions inventories, scenario development, and benefit estimation techniques to identify technological and behavioral changes that can limit that threat. The multiple benefits resulting from these interventions offer cost-effective solutions to air quality, public health, and other sustainable development concerns. One would therefore anticipate that the results that would translate easily into policy. However, this is not always the case. Frequently, there can be a disconnect between scientifically based models and the policies they seek to influence. It is therefore critical to discuss not only the most recent scientifically-based models but how that work can effectively interface with decision makers. In short, if models are going to matter, they need to be supported by efforts to strengthen the science-policy interface for clean air.

The EANET/IIASA International Workshop on Strengthening the Science-Policy Interface for Clean Air and a Sustainable Future in Asia will take place on Monday 19 December 2022, from 13:30-17:00 (Tokyo Time: UTC +9).

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2. Objectives and Participants

The primary objective of this half-day workshop is to provide learning opportunities on the state-of-the-art modeling analysis that can strengthen that interface in Asia.

This workshop consists of three sessions as follows:

  • Session 1 – Multiple development benefits of coordinated actions to tackle air pollution: This session is jointly organized by the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). The modeling analysis employed by a project activity of EANET is presented along with modeling analysis results from ongoing collaborative research projects between IIASA and the Ministry of the Environment of Japan (MOEJ) on multiple development benefits of coordinated actions to tackle air pollution.
  • Session 2 – Exploit synergetic linkages among SDGs: This session presents modeling analysis results from ongoing collaborative research projects between IIASA and MOEJ on synergies of achieving several sustainable development goals.
  • Session 3 – How to implement and promote a science-policy dialogue: This panel discussion session will discuss how we can design science-policy dialogue to reflect implications from modeling analysis to policy development and to co-design models by incorporating social and institutional dimensions of feasibility.

Expected targeted participants are policymakers, scientists, researchers, practitioners, and technical officers of local/national governments working on air pollution-related problems in the EANET Participating Countries of EANET and beyond.

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3. Agenda and Program

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4. Date, Time, and Location

Date: 19 Dec 2022 (Monday)

Time: 13:30-17:00 (Tokyo Time: UTC +9)

Online: Register for the hybrid event here.

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For further inquiries, contact the Network Center for the EANET via email or by phone at (+81)25-263-0556.

The 13th International Workshop on Atmospheric Modeling Research in East Asia – Join us on December 22nd-23rd!

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine
1. Background

The EANET has developed a close relationship with the community of Model Inter-Comparison Studies for Asia (MICS-Asia) which is a project aiming at improving air quality and climate models not only by enhancing scientific understanding of the atmospheric environment but also by developing a common scientific understanding for policy-making in Asia. The International Workshop on Atmospheric Modeling Research in East Asia is a regular workshop of MICS-Asia which has received support from the EANET throughout the previous Medium Term Plans. Summaries of previous MICS-Asia workshops are available in the Reports of the Session of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) on the EANET.

Air quality models are effective scientific tools to understand the status of the atmospheric environment and evaluate the effects of mitigation measures. However, extensive experience is necessary to utilize air quality models effectively, and participating in workshops led by experienced researchers is a practical way to develop skills and expertise on this matter.

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2. Objectives and Participants

The International Workshop on Atmospheric Modeling Research in East Asia provides capacity-building opportunities for air quality modeling to the EANET. Its goal is to allow participants to become familiar with a methodology to analyze the status of atmospheric environment-related substances, including processes of atmospheric chemistry and physics, using air quality models. In addition, participants will learn from examples of the application of air quality modeling systems to evaluate recent atmospheric environmental problems as well as from the latest information on air quality modeling systems including settings and model configuration.

This workshop targets participants from the EANET Participating Countries who are experts in air quality modeling and are willing to improve their knowledge of air quality models’ implementation and want to learn about the latest information on recent air quality modeling systems. The workshop is also suitable for technical officers, practitioners, and policymakers from the Region who are involved in air quality management issues and interested in utilizing air quality modeling systems.

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3. Agenda and Program

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4. Registration

If you would like to participate in the 13th International Workshop on Atmospheric Modeling Research in East Asia, please fill in and send the registration form to the Workshop’s Secretariat (modelws2022@acap.asia).

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For further inquiries, contact the Network Center for the EANET.

EANET Workshop on the Relationship between the Atmospheric Environment, Human Health and Ecosystems – Join us on October 31st!

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

 

The registration is now closed.

1. Background

As mentioned in the Medium Term Plan for the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) (2021-2025), the Participating Countries established the EANET in 2000 to recognize increasing concerns about acid deposition due to rapid economic development in East Asia that had jeopardized environmental sustainability. The establishment of EANET has benefited from the viewpoint of environmental sustainability and the experience of Europe and other regions that have earlier carried out relevant activities for monitoring acid deposition and related substances, including quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), data accumulation, and evaluation. Over the span of 20 years, the accumulation of scientific knowledge and regional economic development, the environmental pollution situation worldwide, and the urgent and important fields of action have changed significantly, and, in November 2021, the Twenty-third Session of the Intergovernmental Meeting on the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (IG23) for the EANET made important decisions on the expansion of the scope of the EANET, from acid deposition, to also include a wider scope of atmospheric environment-related substances.

As the deterioration of the atmospheric environment by pollutants emitted from anthropogenic activities may cause adverse effects on humans and ecosystems, the Workshop on the Relationship between the Atmospheric Environment and Human Health and Ecosystems will allow discussions and experience-sharing with various stakeholders, such as policymakers, scientists, and the general public.

To further discuss and understand scientific knowledge and relevant policy measures, the Workshop on the Relationship between the Atmospheric Environment and Human Health and Ecosystems will gather renowned East Asian and European researchers and experts from academia (Hokkaido University, Japan, and Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, China), international organizations (CLRTAP-UNECE, WHO, IIASA), and from the Network Center for the EANET, to share scientific findings on the effects of atmospheric deposition on human health and ecosystems, as well as best science-based practices for policy-makers to reduce the impacts of atmospheric pollutants.

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2. Objectives and Participants

The Workshop on the Relationship between the Atmospheric Environment and Human Health and Ecosystems will aim at:

  • sharing scientific knowledge on the relationships between the atmospheric environment and human health and between the atmospheric environment and ecosystems
  • showcasing science-based policy experiences on the reduction of atmospheric pollutants in other regions, such as Europe
  • contributing to sharing a common understanding of future directions for environmental measures to be developed by policymakers and scientists at the national and international levels

Although this event is open to the public, the expected participants will be mainly government officials from the EANET Participating Countries, scientists, such as the Scientific Advisory Committee members, Task Force members, other relevant scientists from the EANET and beyond, etc.

 

3. Agenda and Program

Useful Resources

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For further inquiries, contact the Network Center for the EANET.

Workshop on National Air Quality Monitoring Systems and Methodologies with Related Partners – Join us on July 6th!

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

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The registration is now closed.

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1. Background

The EANET as an intergovernmental network in East Asia has achieved excellent progress in monitoring cooperation and had great progress in dealing with common concerned problems in the region. The EANET has been monitoring more than 18 atmospheric substances including ions at 64 monitoring sites in the EANET Participating Countries. EANET implements five monitoring items – wet deposition, dry deposition (air concentration), soil and vegetation, inland aquatic environment, and catchment-scale monitoring.

Depending on differentiated economic stages, industrial structures and meteorological conditions, Participating Countries face diversified environmental challenges and priorities, and even in the same region, the challenges differ from time to time. Therefore, in dealing with acid deposition and air pollution issues, it becomes critical to understand the latest atmospheric environment status in the EANET region firstly, and constantly keep up with the latest trend of air pollution measurements and state-of-the-art research methodology/technology, and fully utilize all aspects of resources to seek the solutions in improving air quality in EANET.

Through more than 20 years of activities, the EANET has established a comprehensive and integrated monitoring network, and EANET monitoring data has been used to evaluate and analyze the atmospheric environment in East Asia. The EANET has focused on the national level to promote cooperation among thirteen Participating Countries to address air pollution, including acid deposition issues, and has achieved significant progress in improving air quality in the East Asia region. However, considering the lifetime of air pollution substances, city-level air quality management is also important besides the national level. Furthermore, in terms of implementing management regulations and standards, along with initiatives from central governments, the local/city governments are also crucial in steadily carrying out various measurements.

To accelerate its further development, the Twenty-third Intergovernmental Meeting of the EANET reached an agreement to expand its scope and enable the EANET to conduct monitoring of more atmospheric environment-related substances. In response to this historical decision of scope expansion and steadily undertaking the necessary actions to adopt the changes of EANET, sharing the latest monitoring system and methodologies, discussing the most pressing challenges, and thinking together about possible solutions among the EANET Participating Countries with related partners are critical.

This workshop will gather different stakeholders (scientists and researchers, government officers, technicians including QA/QC managers, the representative of an international organization) together and invite them to discuss from different perspectives on how to overcome the challenges so as to improve the monitoring system in EANET.

This workshop will be divided into two sessions. The first session will briefly introduce the EANET monitoring activities and its function, followed by the case studies of Japan, R. of Korea, and China. In addition, the specific monitoring methodologies including QA/QC activities will be also introduced. In the second session, the panel discussion will take place involving different stakeholders to seek solutions for improving the EANET monitoring system.

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2. Objectives and Participants

This workshop aims to provide an opportunity of sharing a wide range of national and international experiences in the field of atmospheric monitoring, discussing the current development and future challenge of monitoring systems and related methodologies in EANET.

Although this event is open to the public, the expected participants will be mainly Representative of Participating Countries of the EANET including:

  • Central and local government officials from monitoring and air quality management related departments or divisions
  • Scientists, researchers, and technicians (including QA/QC managers and technicians) in the related area
  • Participants from related stakeholders, including representatives from UNEP and other regional and international organizations
  • The Network Center for the EANET, the Secretariat for the EANET

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3. Agenda

There will be two sessions based on the objectives of the workshop.

The first session aims to:

  • Provide an overview of the development of science and policy related to acid deposition in East Asia over 30 years.
  • Introduce the monitoring systems of Japan, R. of Korea, and China.
  • Discuss national monitoring system with QA/QC capacity for a wide range of monitoring stations, including mobile monitoring units, and introduce past experiences in order to expand possible opportunities in Participating Countries.

The second session aims to:

  • Provide discussion platform to various stakeholders to discuss the challenges the Participating Countries are facing, and seek possible or efficient solutions in improving monitoring system.
  • Provide useful and practical advice from scientific views in strengthening monitoring system from the SAC members of EANET.
  • Provide lesson learned and important insights for air quality monitoring management experiences towards resolving the related difficulties in the Participating Countries of the EANET.
  • Share Clean Air Asia (CAA)’s knowledge gained through the cooperation between cities that has been implemented over the years in strengthening and improving City’s air quality monitoring system.
  • Discuss opportunities of respective concerns or difficulties in further developing air quality monitoring systems in Participating Countries of the EANET involving different stakeholders.

In the second session following two guiding discussion points (tentative) will be provided.

  1. Air pollution issue are deferred from country to country, and deferred from time to time. Taking the latest trend of your country into account, what do you think are the most significant challenge such as targeted substances and spatial coverage for the EANET in improving atmospheric environment in 5-10 years ahead?
  2. International cooperation is critical from national to city-level in dealing with the regional air pollution issue. But, what is the pros and cons of the linkage between national-level and city-level cooperation, and what are the key points to optimize the co-benefit for the regional/city-level air quality in terms of monitoring system, its solutions and prioritized actions?

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Access the full Programme here.

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Download the Workshop’s presentations:

–Development and role of monitoring system in EANET and the case study of Japan

–Latest National and Local/City Monitoring System in the Republic of Korea

–Study on the Co-control of PM2.5 and Ozone Pollution in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and Surrounding Region of China

–Monitoring methodologies and QA/QC activities in the EANET

-Introduction to EANET Project Fund and Project Activities 2022-2023

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For further inquiries, contact the Network Center for the EANET.

EANET Seminar: Learnings on Reducing Emissions from Open Burning – Join us on September 6th!

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

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Registration is now closed.

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1. Background

One of the key sources of particulate pollution in Southeast Asia is the open burning of biomass. The solution to this problem in air pollution modeling research is broadly labeled as bans on burning; however, this solution is difficult to enforce and may cause further disadvantages for the poorest farmers.

There is sufficient evidence that alternatives to bans, including using crop residues for mulch and fertilizer or growing high-yield crops such as mushrooms, may offer a more sustainable solution.

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2. Objectives and Participants

Through this seminar, policymakers and practitioners will share their experience in dealing with sustainable solutions and present how national governments may enable the spread and replication of alternatives to open burning. Various viewpoints on the issue will be presented  and considered. One of the objectives of this seminar is to approach the issue of open burning from various perspectives of national governments, and other stakeholders, which may lead to incentives beyond the event.

In addition, the EANET seeks ways to assess the open burning problem in the context of the ASEAN’s activities.

Although this event is open to the public, the expected participants will be mainly policymakers, practitioners, and technical officers of local/national governments working on air pollution-related issues, from the EANET Participating Countries of EANET and beyond.

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3. Agenda

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Download the concept note here.

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This seminar is a side-event of the Fourth Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP) Joint Forum, find out more and register for the Fourth Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP) Joint Forum here.

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For further inquiries on the Seminar, contact the Network Center for the EANET.

EANET Seminar on Expanding Monitoring Systems using Low-Cost Sensor (LCS) – Join us on July 21st!

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

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The registration is now closed.

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1. Background

Low-cost Sensor (LCS) technology to measure air quality has expanded remarkably in recent years, and it is now widely used by the private sector. It provides information on the atmospheric environment to citizens through data communication networks.

Noticing the cost-effectiveness of LCS, international organizations have started to promote the use of LCS in selected areas to strengthen the capacity of governments where official air monitoring networks are insufficient. However, various surveys conducted by US-EPA, the EU, and others, as well as some experiences in the Asian region reveal that some types of LCSs in the market have problems with accuracy and reliability, while some types are reliable. It is observed that some less reliable LCS and improper use of LCS, including wrong interpretation of measured data, sometimes cause problems including unnecessary social confusion.

Air quality monitoring authorities, such as US-EPA, recommend that LCS is to be used for providing supplementary information for non-regulatory purposes. They recently developed testing protocols to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of LCS.

In most areas in the Asian region, air quality monitoring capacities of the national and local governments are still limited and need to be developed to improve their air quality to achieve SDGs. Considering emerging sub-regional-scale and serious seasonal air pollution events, such as PM2.5, building a network of reliable and internationally comparable air quality data becomes more important.

Thus, it is necessary for practitioners to consider how they can wisely select and use reliable LCS with the network of reference-level sensors in an integrated manner for enhanced air quality monitoring.

The EANET has been developing an air quality monitoring network in the East Asia region with governments and scientists from its 13 Participating Countries and assisting them to develop domestic capacity. The EANET is expanding its scope and seeking collaboration with potential partners. The EANET is conducting this activity considering the best use of reliable LCS for capacity building among its Participating Countries.

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2. Objectives and Participants

The EANET will proceed with technical studies and capacity building on methods for collecting reliable air quality data with a concept of Hybrid Air Quality Monitoring Network (HAQMN) where highly reliable LCS and existing reference-level monitoring equipment are used in an integrated manner.

This concept and relevant work provide opportunities for EANET: (1) to strengthen its monitoring network, especially in expanding spatial coverage of the motoring of PM2.5 and ozone with high time resolution; and (2) to assist the Participating Countries of the EANET in developing their air quality monitoring network.

With such overarching goals, the objectives of this Seminar are to provide venues for stakeholders in the EANET Participating Countries and other areas to learn the above-mentioned background, issues, and opportunities of LCS in detail from the experiences of the air pollution monitoring experts.

Although this event is open to the public, the expected participants will be mainly representatives, experts, and practitioners of air quality monitoring from the EANET Participating Countries, non-Participating Countries, academia, and monitoring related service providers.

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3. Agenda

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Download the Concept Note and Programme here.

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Download the Workshop’s presentations:

–Issues of LCS and Efforts Against the Issues: Thailand’s Experiences (presented by Dr. Supat Wangwongwatana)

–US-EPA’s efforts on wise use of LCS (presented by Dr. Alison Simcox)

–Results of the survey on HAQMN and technical studies in some EANET Participating Countries (presented by Dr. Keiichi Sato)

–Experience in using Low-Cost Sensors under ADB TA 9608 (presented by Ms. Karma Yangzom)

–Air quality data challenges and opportunities in developing Asia (presented by Ms. Maria Katherina Patdu)

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For further inquiries, contact the Network Center for the EANET.

Next-Generation Air Quality Monitoring: Technologies, Communities, and Governance for Clean Air – Join us on November 26th!

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

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Background

The Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) was established in 2001 as a regional intergovernmental network to promote cooperation among countries in East Asia to address acid deposition problems. In 2021, at the Twenty-Second Session of the Intergovernmental Meeting (IG22), the 13 Participating Countries of the EANET agreed to expand its scope to address wider air pollution problems and launched the EANET Project Fund to encourage cooperation with partners outside of its network.

In the last 20 years, the EANET has made excellent progress in acid deposition monitoring cooperation, including on particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone. The Network has fostered a regional monitoring network and scientific exchange platforms which have contributed to solving acid deposition and air pollution problems in East Asia.

In November 2024, the Twenty-sixth Intergovernmental Meeting (IG26) on the EANET approved the Work Programme and Budget of the EANET Core Activities in 2025, including Activity 10: Promotion of public awareness on acid deposition, including other priority chemical species, etc.

In this respect, and in line with the efforts to facilitate the sharing of a common understanding on air quality issues, the EANET Regional Awareness Workshop in 2025: “Next-Generation Air Quality Monitoring: Technologies, Communities, and Governance for Clean Air”  will be organized on Wednesday 26 November in Bangkok , Thailand, and in a hybrid format as part of UNEP’s Clean Air Week 2025, from 24-28 November 2028, at the Sukosol Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Short Description

Air pollution remains the single largest environmental health risk worldwide, with Asia experiencing the most severe impacts. Effective air quality management requires robust, reliable, and inclusive monitoring systems that integrate scientific innovation, community participation, and policy action. While governments and research institutions have traditionally relied on reference-grade monitoring, new technologies—including low-cost sensors, satellite monitoring, artificial intelligence (AI), and open-source toolkits—are reshaping the landscape of air quality management.

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Objective and Participants

This session explores how innovative approaches are enabling more accessible, hyperlocal, and transparent data generation and governance. It brings together leading experts, civil society, academia to share lessons from on-the-ground experiences, advanced modelling approaches, community-led initiatives, and legal innovations such as the Pollution Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) bill in Thailand.

The discussion will focus on:

  • Pathways to integrate innovative monitoring into governance frameworks for cleaner air
  • How new technologies and open-source tools can strengthen monitoring and data transparency.
  • The role of numerical models, AI, and satellite data in supporting decision-making at the local, national and regional scale.
  • How community engagement and right-to-know legislation can empower citizens.

Expected in-person and online participants will include the EANET National Focal Points, Scientific Advisory Committee members, and other EANET members and partners, including policymakers, national researchers, and scientists. It will also welcome representatives of partner organizations working on related issues, as well as participants joining the Clean Air Week.

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Tentative Agenda

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Contact

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Unlocking and Future-Proofing Air Quality Management in Asia – Join us on May 27-29th!

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

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Background

Air pollution is one of the most pressing environmental health crises globally. It is responsible for more than 6.5 million deaths annually, the bulk of which – 70 percent – occur in the Asia Pacific. In addition to health hazards, air pollution threatens the region’s economy, food and water security, and climate systems. This hampers the region’s efforts to grow sustainably and alleviate poverty. Urbanization has been identified as one of the main drivers of environmental change with many cities having seen high — and in some areas, rising — levels of air pollution over the past decade. Everyone is affected, but women, children, the elderly, and people living in poverty are bearing the brunt of its impact. It is infringing on the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

Many efforts and initiatives have been implemented over the past decades to tackle air pollution but have not been able to fully address the problem and need to be responsive to emerging global and regional challenges. At the Sixth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) in February 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, member states underscored the need to elevate efforts on addressing the significant impacts of air pollution, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, and adopted a new resolution on Promoting regional cooperation on air pollution to improve air quality globally.

Within the context of this workshop, “future-proofing” refers to anticipating future challenges that will impact air quality management and identifying solutions, for example, weather and meteorological conditions driving the frequency of forest and wildfires, or increasing dust and sandstorms, driving haze and severe air pollution episodes. “Unlocking” refers to examining and identifying key policies and solutions leading to measurable improvement in air quality.

These can help inform implementation of the new resolution which requests UNEP to “form and facilitate a cooperation network on air quality” working with relevant stakeholders and regional initiatives such as the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET), the Malé Declaration, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, the Asia-Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP), North-East Asia Clean Air Partnership (NEACAP) and the Thematic Working Group on Air Quality and Health.

The resolution also requests UNEP to provide an “updated global online platform for network-wide information sharing and communication”. At the regional level, after the adoption of the Regional Action Programme on Air Pollution (RAPAP) in 2022, ESCAP is initiating the development of an online RAPAP Partnership and Coordination Platform. The Platform aims to facilitate complementarities among multilateral and multi-stakeholder cooperation mechanisms as well as countries to provide a repository of collaborative work and scale up the impact of joint actions.

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Objective

This workshop is jointly organized by UNEP, ESCAP, and EANET to support the regional implementation of the UNEA resolution on promoting regional cooperation on air pollution to improve air quality globally and support discussions to “unlock” and “future-proof” air quality management in the region.

This workshop serves as EANET’s Regional Awareness Workshop in 2024 to inform its Participating Countries on the key challenges and emerging issues on air quality management and provide inputs to its Medium-Term Plan for 2026-2030. This workshop also serves as an important opportunity for ESCAP to inform stakeholders about the development of the RAPAP Partnership and Coordination Platform, map out activities of potential partners, and obtain feedback and suggestions on the Platform as a shared resource for information exchange and coordination, thus facilitating multilateral and international cooperation in support of RAPAP.

In this respect, the EANET Awareness Workshop in 2024 will be organized from 27-28 May in Conference Room 4 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok (UNCC), Thailand, and in a hybrid format, under the name “Unlocking and Future-Proofing Air Quality Management in Asia, Multi-stakeholder consultation workshop for improved multilateral and international cooperation on air pollution”. On 27 May, the 2024 edition of LowCarbon.Earth will be launched, inviting applications by startups working on six areas: Clean air; Agri-food; Renewable energy; Digital innovation; Sustainable mobility; and Plastic pollution. Finally, on 29 May in Meeting Room B, at the UNCC closed EANET meetings by invitation only (see the Program below) will take place back-to-back with the Workshop.

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Program (as of 23 May)

 

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For further inquiries, contact the EANET Secretariat, UNEP, or the Environment and Development Division, ESCAP.

EANET Regional Awareness Workshop in 2023: A focus on Volatile Organic Compounds and Low-Cost Sensors – Join us on May 30th!

Posted on by Aurélia Lemoine

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Registration is now closed, contact the EANET Secretariat for more info

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Background

Due to rapid economic growth and industrialization, many countries in East Asia are still facing serious threats from air pollution and acid deposition, in a more global context where almost the entire global population (99%) breathes air that exceeds the World Health Organization’s air quality limits, hindering populations’ right to a healthy environment.

The Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) was established in 2001 as a regional intergovernmental network to promote cooperation among countries in East Asia to address acid deposition problems. In 2021, at the Twenty-Second Session of the Intergovernmental Meeting (IG22), the 13 Participating Countries of the EANET agreed to expand its scope to address wider air pollution problems and launched the EANET Project Fund to encourage cooperation with partners outside of its network.

In the last 20 years, the EANET has made excellent progress in acid deposition monitoring cooperation, including on particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone. The Network has fostered a regional monitoring network and scientific exchange platforms that contribute to solving acid deposition and air pollution problems in East Asia.

In November 2022, the Twenty-fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Meeting (IG24) approved the first batch of “EANET Project Plans” funded through the EANET Project Fund, with an Estimated Income for Project Activities in 2023 of US$489,700, including funding from EANET, additional financial support from Japan (MOEJ) from the Republic of Korea (NIER); and in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB); and in-kind support from Japan (JARI, NIES), Mongolia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam (IMHEN, MONRE) for the implementation of 8 projects, among which two projects focusing on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Low-Cost Sensors (LCS).

In this respect, and in line with the efforts to facilitate the sharing of a common understanding of air quality and acid deposition issues, the EANET Awareness Workshop in 2023 will be organized on Tuesday, 30 May 14:00-17:00 (ICT) at the United Nations Convention Center in Bangkok (UNCC Theatre), Thailand, and in a hybrid format, under the name “ EANET Regional Awareness Workshop in 2023: a focus on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Low Cost Sensors (LCS)”, as part of the Climate and Clean Air Conference: Air Quality Action Week, organized by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC). The Workshop is held in cooperation with the Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RRC.AP).

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Objective and Participants

Objective: the EANET Awareness Workshop is expected to increase public understanding of air pollution and acid deposition issues through the lens of experts, policymakers, and other stakeholders from the EANET region and globally. The two sessions will focus on innovative and emerging topics, specifically on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Low-Cost Sensors (LCS) related opportunities, limitations, and good practices, and possibly generate future collaboration ideas.

Participants: the sessions will be attended online and/or in person by the EANET National Focal Points, Scientific Advisory Committee members, and other EANET members and partners, including policymakers, national researchers, and scientists mainly from the Network’s 13 Participating Countries. It will also welcome representatives of partner organizations working on related issues, as well as participants joining the Air Quality Action Week in Bangkok.

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Session description

Session 1: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a component of air pollution that includes a complex mixture of hundreds of carbon-containing gases. VOCs also include a wide variety of chemicals, some of which can cause short- and long-term adverse health effects. However, due to the unique characteristics of VOCs and the relatively high cost of measurement, VOC monitoring and its related activities in the EANET region are still at an early stage.

Session 1 will showcase issues and challenges on VOCs. Experts and stakeholders from the EANET Participating Countries will discuss how VOCs can be monitored and possibly mitigated. Two examples, funded by MOEJ through the EANET Project Fund and co-finance, of technical assistance to build implementation plans in Mongolia and the Philippines will be show-cased, considering how to replicate similar activities in the EANET region and beyond.

Session 2: The Low-cost sensor (LCS) technology to measure air quality has remarkably advanced in recent years and is now widely used by the private sector and provides information on the atmospheric environment to citizens through data communication networks. Noticing the cost-effectiveness of LCS, international organizations have started to promote the use of LCS in selected areas to strengthen the capacity of governments where official air monitoring networks are insufficient.

In Session 2, we will learn about the wide potential of Low-Cost Sensors (LCS), including the related limitations and opportunities. Panelists will discuss improving air quality monitoring networks, citizen-data, and the development of hybrid monitoring networks, such as through the HAQMN Project funded by MOEJ through the EANET Project Fund and co-finance, and finally data and quality standards’ requirements. A deployment plan in Viet Nam, in collaboration with the ADB and other partners, will be presented, allowing possible similar deployments in the region.

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Draft Programme (updated on 19 May 2023)

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Download the Concept Note and Draft Programme here (updated on 24 April).

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The Speakers (in order of appearance)

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Ms. Marlene Nilsson

Ms. Marlene Nilsson joined UNEP, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in April 2023 as the Deputy Regional Director. Marlene is an experienced staff member with a career spanning over 20 years supporting United Nations leadership. Since 2019, she held the position of Senior Programme Management Officer/Special Assistant in the Office of the UNEP Executive Director. During her 11 years at UNEP, she also gained substantial programmatic and management experience, having worked in the Executive Office, Ecosystems Division and Policy and Programme Division. Prior to joining UNEP, Marlene spent 13 years with United Nations Peacekeeping, working on crisis management, peace negotiations, and political affairs both in the field (Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan) and at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Marlene holds a master’s degree in Political Science.

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Mr. Bert Fabian

Mr. Bert Fabian is the Coordinator of the Secretariat for the EANET. He has been with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as a Programme Officer since 2013 as lead for the Sustainable Mobility Unit’s activities in Asia and the Pacific. He has supported more than 15 countries in developing policies on transport, air pollution, and climate change and managed projects worth about 13.5 million USD including about 5.6 million USD allocated for Asia and the Pacific. Mr. Fabian coordinated the activities of UNEP with the Global Fuel Economy Initiative and managed the Electric 2&3 Wheelers project in East Africa and Southeast Asia. He also managed projects on strengthening the air quality management community of practice in Asia and the Pacific and on understanding the relationships between COVID-19 and air quality impacts, policies, and measures in cities.

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Prof. Meng Fan

Prof. Meng Fan is the Deputy Director General in charge of the Network Center for EANET, Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP). Prior to this position, he has been Deputy Chief Engineer, Director of the Institute of Atmospheric Environment, and Director of the Research Department for the 2+26 Cities in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES). He has been conducting research in the field of air quality modeling, atmospheric chemistry, air pollution control policy, and synergistic control of air pollution and climate change. Dr. Meng Fan has been published as the author and co-author of over 80 papers in highly regarded, peer-reviewed journals and is also an adjunct professor and doctoral supervisor at Beijing Normal University and Tongji University of China.

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Dr. Zhu Meihua

Dr. Meihua Zhu serves as a Chief Senior Researcher in the Planning and Training Department & Atmospheric Research Department for Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP). Her research interests include regional environmental cooperation, air pollution regulations, and policies. Besides research, she also plays a vital role in achieving the goals of EANET and ACAP in improving air quality and addressing air pollution problems through international collaboration, capacity building, and training.

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Prof. Hong Li

Prof. Hong Li is a professor at the Institute of Atmospheric Environment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES), China. She is a Member of the First Standing Committee of the two Professional Committees (Ozone Pollution Control, VOCs Prevention and Control) of the Chinese Society of Environmental Sciences and a member of the China Compliance Expert Group for the Montreal Protocol. She received her PhD from the China University of Geosciences (Beijing) in 1998. Her research fields include complex pollution formation mechanisms and synergistic control mechanisms of PM2.5 and ground-level ozone, VOCs Environmental Benchmarks, and source analysis and control strategies of ozone-depleting substances. Currently, she is leading a city-level PM2.5 and ozone synergistic control “one city, one policy” follow-up research project, and also is an Editorial Board Member of three international journals.

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Dr. Kessinee Unapumnuk

Dr. Kessinee Unapumnuk is currently an Environmentalist, Senior Professional Level, at the Air Quality and Noise Management department of the Pollution Control Department (PCD). She has been involved in Thailand’s Volatile Organic Compounds Management since 2007 and has been responsible for supervising the PCD’s VOCs monitoring network group and giving technical consultation for VOCs-related issues to PCD staff and others. Among other important projects, Dr. Unapumnak was previously the coordinator for the Thai-Japan Clean Air Partnership on Particulate Matter Reduction Strategy and Measures Development Project, a technical cooperation project between the Ministry of Environment, Japan, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand.

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Engr. Jundy T. Del Socorro

Engr. Jundy Tigley Del Socorro is the Chief of the Air Quality Management Section (AQMS) and a Supervising Environmental Management Specialist at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB). He is also a Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) member for the Philippines at the EANET. Over the years, he has participated in projects in the fields of Stack and Ambient Sampling Methods, Emission Inventory, Meteorology, Air Quality Dispersion Modeling, among others. He has authored and co-authored air quality studies in the fields of Industrial Mass Rate Emission, Impacts on Planetary Boundary Layer to Air Quality and other ongoing air quality research. He received his master’s degree in environmental engineering and Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering at Mapua University, Philippines. Engr. Del Socorro is a registered Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reviewer in the Philippines and has been a member of different Intergovernmental Technical Working Groups (TWG) in the formulation of key environmental policies in the Philippines.

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Dr. Akie Yuba

Dr. Akie Yuba is a Senior Researcher at Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP). She is working on the Hybrid Air Quality Monitoring Network (HAQMN) project to expand the air quality monitoring network in Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET).  She is also responsible for the monitoring and QA/QC management of the wet and dry deposition in Japan. She has 8 years of experience working on air quality issues in East Asia.

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Professor Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh

Professor Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, from the Asia Institute of Technology (AIT), is a member of the science panel of the Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP). She has 35 years of working experience in research, education, consultancy, and capacity building and is internationally recognized for her work on air pollution and climate in Asia. Aiming to provide comprehensive science-based information to policy-making, she focuses on the better characterization of air pollution issues in Asian developing countries through field measurements, emission inventory and modeling studies to assess the impacts on human health, ecosystems, and crops. She has published 2 books (ed.), 120 international peer-reviewed scientific papers and 50 book chapters, and over 60 important development reports.

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Dr. Le Ngoc Cau

Dr. Le Ngoc Cau is currently Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change (IMHEN). IMHEN is a public research institution affiliated with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) of Vietnam. Dr. Cau is also Vietnam’s National Focal Point for the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET). Dr. Cau’s core research interests include real-time mobile air quality monitoring, air quality management, waste management, low-carbon technologies for waste treatment, and climate change mitigation in the waste sector. Dr. Le Ngoc Cau graduated from Hanoi University of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in chemical and food processing engineering. He earned a master’s degree in environmental technology and management from the Asian Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. degree in environmental studies from The University of Tokyo, Japan.

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Ms. Dang Espita-Casanova

Ms. Dang Espita-Casanova oversees program development and strategic planning for Clean Air Asia’s impact initiatives on transport, energy, and urban air quality. She worked with government, private, and non-profit organizations in the early years of her professional career, with training and experience on environmental pollution chemistry and environmental management for more than 10 years. At Clean Air Asia, she leads projects focusing on capacity building of governments for air quality management and climate change mitigation through policy guidance and direct technical assistance on the development and implementation of clean air and climate action plans. Dang currently leads a team of specialists and researchers in operationalizing Clean Air Asia’s impact initiatives on sustainable transport, energy, and cities.

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Ms. Karine Léger

Ms. Karine Léger is the director of Airparif, the air quality monitoring network of the Paris Region, France. Karine has both a technical and management background, linked with environmental issues (Executive master in management at Science Po, Advanced Msc. in environmental management and engineering at Ecole des Mines, Eng. in agriculture at ISARA, BSc in Biology). Karine has 20 years of expertise in air pollution, related to communication, partnerships, innovation, and international projects. She first started to work at Airparif as an engineer, and then as the head of the communication and international department. Karine was then in charge of the partnerships and innovation before taking the lead of Airparif in 2018, also in charge of forecasting and assisting the authorities during air pollution episodes. Karine takes part in regional, national, and European working groups on air quality, public information, and communication strategy, develops and contributes to the management and development of different international projects mainly with Airparif’s counterparts abroad, such as the Beijing environmental monitoring center, the AQCC of Teheran, and the municipality of Hanoi.

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Dr. Shiro Hatakeyama

Dr. Shiro Hatakeyama received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Tokyo in 1976 and 1979, respectively, and is currently serving as the Director General of the Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP), Japan. Before being assigned to ACAP, Dr. Shiro HATAKEYAMA worked for the Center for Environmental Science in Saitama, as President from 2016 to 2019; Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, as a Professor from 2007 to 2016, and now Professor Emeritus since 2016; National Institute of Environmental Science, as Scientist from 1979 to 2007. He also worked for NRC/NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA, as a Senior Resident Research Associate from 1985 to 1986. Over more than 40 years of his research career in atmospheric environmental science, he has made many achievements in the field of atmospheric environmental research, including publishing 217 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and 34 books (including co-authored books).

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For further inquiries, contact the EANET Secretariat.