Background
At the first United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi in 2014, air quality was identified to be a priority issue requiring immediate action by the international community. This was reinforced with the adoption of a new resolution at the Sixth Session of UNEA in 2024 on promoting regional cooperation on air pollution to improve air quality globally. The resolution requested UNEP to “form and facilitate a cooperation network on air quality” to support, among others, “capacity building for addressing air pollution including through mutual learning from inter alia available science, technical expertise and information.”1
A 2022 air quality management needs assessment report by UNEP, Clean Air Fund, and Global Health Visions found that the lack of technical capacity and other knowledge stood out prominently as the second greatest challenge, demonstrating a need for continued efforts to ensure the effectiveness of any air quality management guidance.2 Impact assessment, source attribution and emissions inventory are among the key areas where more guidance is needed. Developing an emissions inventory (EI) is an important step in the air quality management process. By identifying pollutants of concern and their key sources, an EI helps determine main sources and emission control priorities to reduce air pollution in a country or city. It provides technical input to the development, implementation, and review of clean air action plans and contributes to the preparation of strategies and regulations, evaluation of emission trends, review of impact of new pollution sources, and ensuring compliance with regulations, among others.
Objective
This workshop aims to provide an opportunity for countries in the Asia-Pacific region to build capacity and facilitate sharing of good practices on developing an air pollutant emissions inventory to support the development and effectiveness review of air quality policy and supporting assessments on the health impacts of air pollution.
This workshop will be a Pre-Event to the Fifth Ministerial Meeting of the Regional Forum on Health and Environment of Asia Pacific which will held from 24-26 September 2024 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
