Strengthening Capacities for Air Quality Management in India (Hybrid event)

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This hybrid event is organized through the PayTM and UNEP supported project, Air Quality Action Forum (AQAF) in collaboration with the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability & Technology and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The event will take place on 7 September 2022, 10:30–17:00 hrs (IST) and will gather in-person attendees at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India.

Background

Air pollution is a matter of high concern in India because of its impact on public health, crop production, weather, climate, ecosystems, heritage, and economic productivity and efficiency. It also poses a great risk to human health and is one of the main avoidable causes of death and disease globally. Due to the growing concern of air pollution and its short-, mid-and long-term impacts, it is imperative to recognize this issue on a global scale by highlighting the challenges it poses for mankind, the current state of air globally, and the way forward that would ensure a pollutant-free air.

The annual commemoration of the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies on 7 September first took place in 2019 with the Second Committee of the 74^th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopting a resolution to designate 7 September as the “International Day of Clean Air for blue skies is the biggest global event highlighting the problem of air pollution and the importance of minimizing it. The adoption of Clean Air for blue skies day has been crucial to bringing major focus on the urgency related to air pollution, and the importance of managing it using an inclusive approach where raising public awareness at all levels takes priority. Air pollution is local, regional, national, and global—therefore, the most feasible way forward is by facilitating close coordination between various stakeholders who, through their collective work, can give thrust to mitigative and preventive actions at all levels. And the importance of collective actions and shared responsibility also resonates with the theme for this year’s Clean Air Day, i.e., ‘The Air We Share’—highlighting the urgent need to understand our shared responsibility to care for the air we all breathe.

Objectives

The objective of the event is to commemorate the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies in India and raise awareness on building capacities in India for air quality management, while also underscoring the progress made, and the future opportunities for improvement to build relevant capacities at various levels.

The event aims to:

• Highlight important areas that need urgent capacity building to address present-day challenges related to implementation, detailed scientific research, and financial constraints— all of which are needed for improving air quality management in the country.
• Present a comprehensive mapping of India’s Air Quality Management sector and the various direct and indirect jobs within it to enable strategic planning for the future undertaking of targeted capacity development activities as well as create new jobs in the sector.