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Watch this space to sign up for an exciting talk on 22nd September on air pollution.
The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) is one of the world’s most polluted regions, with billions of people regularly breathing air that exceeds safe limits.
Breathing toxic air has major health consequences for people, even resulting in death, with children are being particularly vulnerable.
It is not just human health that air pollution hits, it is also harmful to animals and plants. It reduces crop yields, accelerates the melting of snow and ice in the mountains, and affects monsoon patterns and rainfall distribution across Asia, impacting water security.
It is crucial we come together to reverse the trend of worsening air quality in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, because every breath counts.
While air pollution is a persistent problem in the HKH, there are many innovators across the region who are working to make clean air a reality – researchers, community mobilisers, entrepreneurs, and innovators that have lived through months of bad air and want to do something about it.
In the past, we have supported this community of trailblazers by calling on them to showcase actionable solutions.
We heard from an ecosystem of innovators including those working in clean cooking, transport, agriculture, and other sectors.
But this is just a stepping stone.
As we race for #cleanair for #blueskies, we recognise and celebrate the achievements of many impactful innovators who are pushing the boundaries on air pollution mitigation through answers that are scalable and adaptable to the myriad air pollution problems experienced throughout the region.
In the long run, we hope to develop a community of innovators, thinkers, and actors who are working towards bringing back blue skies in the HKH. ICIMOD’s Action Area on Air also is investing in a number of promising solutions, creating an ecosystem for scale them up in our Regional Member Countries.
ICIMOD Clean Air Prize – 1st Place
ICIMOD Clean Air Prize – 2nd Place
3rd prize: Daira Sabz Environmental Consulting Services
Daira Sabz has been working with the Department of Engineering (Afghanistan Government) to install filters on heating systems in Kabul. This filter helps reduce emissions from households using coal for heating and cooking purposes.
The filters are being piloted right now for seven large apartment buildings in Kabul, which amounts to 780+ people directly linking their emissions to the filtration setup. The cost for each filter amounts to anywhere between USD 2,000-3,500. When in operation, it targets the finer particles generated from the combustion of coal. The current setup is said to be seven times more cost efficient than other comparable solutions. Residential sector is an important contributor to air pollution in the IGP-HF and very limited solutions exist for this sector.
Honorary Mention: Agro Stubble Management Pvt. Ltd.
Agro Stubble Management plays a crucial role in converting leftover stubble from rice crops. During the month of November, rice is harvested across the state of Punjab, India, to be stockpiled for later use in domestic and international markets. The resulting biomass from this harvesting is generally burnt, leading to smog and particulate matter being released. Each year, roughly 7–8 million metric tons of biomass is burnt as a result of poor biomass management practices.
Using this biomass, Agro Stubble Management manufactures products like packing trays, false ceiling tiles, and other packaging material. The immediate use and demand for these products in the market is immense. Other parts of the HKH are in a position to either subscribe directly to these products, or setup local industries leading to manufacturing of similar bio-mass byproducts.
Honorary Mention: Prof Dr Zhiyuan Cong
Although air pollution is a persistent problem in the HKH, more science-based research inform decision makers of the extent and impact of this threat. Dr Cong’s research endeavours on air quality monitoring is an inspiration to other researchers that look to fulfil data gaps on air quality in the HKH. Dr Cong’s team has worked extensively on tracking of pollution sources across the HKH, leading to data being published in high impact and influential publications including ICIMOD’s Hindu Kush Himalayan Monitoring and Assessment Programme (HI-MAP) Report.
In his pursuit, Dr Cong has worked closely with institutions from outside of the HKH, to truly build a collaborative effort in understanding this transboundary risk. This quality of research has led to notable institutions such as the UNEP citing his work on linkages between biomass burning and aerosol impacts as well.
Honorary Mention: Prasesh Pote Shrestha
Across the HKH, large-scale construction projects also contribute to air pollution emissions. For growing economies like Nepal, construction adds a significant challenge as the sector contributes dust particles that lead to particular matter being suspended in the atmosphere. But there are best practices emerging from on-going construction work on the Mugling-Pokhara Highway. As part of the first phase of the project, Shrestha, who is the Environment Focal Person from the China Communications Construction Company, has been implementing a site-specific environment management plan (SSEMP) to control the spread of dust and other pollutants being emitted from the on-going construction work.
The SSEMP has activities including sprinkling of water along the 41 kilometre stretch, storage of waste material under mesh and tarpaulin, and training of workers on proper safety and occupational health guidelines. Bioengineering projects and compensator plantation are also being carried out to promote carbon sequestration.
Firewood is the principal energy source for household space heating and animal feed cooking in Haa. In Lingzhi, households utilise yak dung both for residential space heating and other household tasks. The use of firewood and yak dung not only exposes women and small children to serious health hazards as a result of extended hours of exposure to pollutants in inadequately ventilated homes, but it also forces them to undertake the arduous task of collecting fuel.
A collaborative effort between ICIMOD’s Air team and the Jigme Singye Wangchuck (JSW) School of Law, with support from the FCDO-funded project ‘Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme’ (HI-REAP), has tested a targeted fuel-efficient solution to these sources of household emissions and indoor air pollution, in the form of enhanced stoves for space heating and cooking. The initiative’s first findings show that these stoves can reduce fuelwood use by up to 50% while cutting emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon.
The primary obstacle to the adoption of the space heating solution is its cost. However, the community has stepped forward to provide 50% of the cost. This supports ICIMOD’s efforts to expand the solution to a small number of clusters in order to accelerate change.
The Indo-Gangetic Plain and Himalayan Foothills (IGP-HF) region airshed includes some of the world’s most polluted countries.
Hundreds of millions of people in this region are exposed to hazardous air. Last November the Air Quality Index in cities in Pakistan crossed 1,000+ and in Delhi, India hit 450+, closing schools and causing disruption to flights.
Air pollution in South Asia has risen more than 50% since the start of this century. The average lifespan in South Asia is cut short by five years.
What does this mean for our health, our economies, and our future?
We brought together leading experts to delve into the heart of this crisis. In a series of compelling videos, they unpack the complex realities of air pollution in South Asia, exploring its devastating impacts and potential solutions.
Millions across South Asia still depends on solid biomass like wood, coal, and crop residues for cooking and heating.
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Many believe air quality improvement efforts hinder economic growth, but experts disagree.
“The most important thing is that it kills us. It is killing people” – Narayan Babu Dhital
China offers a powerful example of how rapid, large-scale action can drastically reduce air pollution.
“People who are the poorest are also the ones experiencing the highest level of air pollution.” – Jill Baumgartner
We brought together leading experts to delve into the heart of this crisis. For more videos, click the link below.
This is part of ICIMOD’s Action Area: Air, under the Strategic Group: Climate and Environmental Risks. It is delivered through the Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP), supported by the United Kingdom International Development.
