The Twenty-sixth Session of the Intergovernmental Meeting on the EANET
11 December 2024 – Bangkok, Thailand
The Twenty-sixth Session of the Intergovernmental Meeting (IG26) on the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 27 to 28 November 2024. All the 13 Participating Countries of the EANET were represented in-person in the Intergovernmental Meeting. Overall, there were about 80 participants from the EANET, engaged in key discussions related to the network’s 2025 activities and to air quality and acid deposition challenges in Northeast and Southeast Asia.
.
Regional Cooperation Addressing Acid Deposition and Air Pollution
Hosted and chaired by the government of Malaysia, the IG26 started with Welcome Remarks delivered by Datuk Nor Yahati binti Awang, Deputy Secretary General of Malaysia’s Environmental Sustainability at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES). Opening Remarks followed by Dr. Toshimasa Ohara, Director General of the Asia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP), and Mr. Bert Fabian, Coordinator of the Secretariat for the EANET.
Datuk Nor Yahati highlighted Malaysia’s commitment to tackling air pollution through initiatives such as the National Clean Air Action Plan (2025–2040). Dr. Ohara emphasized the expanded scope of EANET activities, and Mr. Fabian underscored the importance of the science-policy interface in EANET’s mission. The session elected Malaysia as Chairperson, Thailand and Mongolia as Vice-Chairpersons, and Japan as Rapporteur.
.
Over US$300,000 Allocated for Air Quality Projects in 2025
In addition to the Core Budget of the EANET for its ongoing activities focused mainly on monitoring, and supporting its meetings, the IG26 approved twelve EANET Projects under the EANET Project Fund.
The Projects focus on capacity building, public awareness, monitoring and research activities, applied to various issues such as Nitrogen management, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), innovative monitoring technologies including low-cost sensors and satellite monitoring, and understanding the effects of acid deposition on ecosystems, among others. A total of US$300,000 mainly coming from Japan (MOEJ), and with co-financing from the Republic of Korea (NIER), the Philippines (EMB), and China (Fudan University), was allocated for these initiatives.
.
Future Directions and Key Approvals
In addition to these key decisions, the IG25 approved several important documents, such as the Work Program and Budget of the EANET in 2025, including the organization of key meetings in 2025 such as the Working Group Meeting in 2025 (WG2025), the 24th Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC25) and the 27th Session of the Intergovernmental Meeting on the EANET (IG27). The IG26 also approved the process of development of the EANET’s next Medium-Term Plan (2026–2030) which will include several consultations and meetings among Participating Countries in 2025, emphasizing expanded collaboration and innovative approaches to air quality monitoring and policy support.
.
.
Photos credits: all rights reserved to EANET.