Why pollution control needs localised data, grounded in science
- The COP 28 in 2023 highlighted global concerns over air pollution and climate change, particularly noticeable due to thick smog in Dubai.
- India too faces severe air quality challenges, prompting the need for a comprehensive approach.
Current State of Air Quality Management
- The National Clean Air Action Plan (NCAP) launched in 2019 to tackle the increasing air pollution problem has shown mixed results.
- Air pollution and climate change are closely related as both share common emission sources emphasising the urgency to address both issues simultaneously.
The Need for an Indigenous Air Quality Resource Framework
- India must develop a science-based, credible air quality resource framework to aid decision-makers.
- The framework should integrate emission sources with precise knowledge of air-sheds.
- Airshed refers to an area where local topography and meteorology limit the dispersion of pollutants.
- Air quality forecasts combined with health advisories and mitigation strategies should be developed for short, medium and long terms to help local, state, and national governments.
Challenges and Considerations
- India's diverse micro-environments and climatic conditions require understanding of various natural and scientific processes.
- Air quality management in India must address rural, urban and industrial areas, going beyond current urban-focused efforts.
- Critical input parameters for the development of an air quality early warning framework include emission inventories and air-shed mapping.
Baseline Levels and Emission Inventories
- NIAS researchers recently determined the first experimentally derived baseline levels of major air pollutants in different climatic zones.
- Baseline levels refer to the ambient air pollution naturally present, without any anthropogenic sources of emission.
- These include PM10, PM2.5, NO2, ozone, CO, and SO2.
Technological Innovations and Data Standardization
- Emission inventories, crucial for forecasting, are lacking in India, highlighting a major shortcoming.
- This stems from a lack of accurate data and inadequate monitoring networks.
- Ground-based data, satellite-driven data, and new techniques, including drone-based artificial intelligence, have been proposed for forecasting.
- The use of "CubeSats - a class of nano- and microsatellites" is also suggested for enhanced data collection.
- Standardisation of data collection methodology, reporting protocols and emission inventory databases is crucial.
Proposal for an Integrated Approach
- A consortium of domain experts, health scientists, policy specialists, and communicators is needed to steer air quality issues.
- The consortium would provide scientific recommendations, frame communication strategies, issue alerts and plan mitigation strategies.
- Centralised emissions dataset as per international norms and robust application of data from Indian satellites is also crucial.