About the event

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is joining the Clean Air Week – a week-long series of events, bringing together government leaders, technical experts, private sector representatives, and civil society organisations to exchange knowledge and explore practical solutions for improving air quality across the Asia-Pacific region.

The event is being organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners, including the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and the Clean Air Fund.

The programme will feature high-level dialogues, technical sessions, and networking opportunities designed to advance regional cooperation and accelerate clean air actions.

ICIMOD-LED SESSION

From national action to regional cooperation: Advancing clean air through science, policy, and finance

25 November 2025 | Tuesday, 09:00 – 10:30

Background

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is supporting countries across the Indo-Gangetic Plain and Himalayan Foothills (IGP-HF) region to develop the National Clean Air Action Plans (NCAPs), grounded in scientific evidence and aligned with regional air quality priorities.

The objective is to strengthen national responses to air pollution while promoting their coherence with a regional perspective, recognising that transboundary air quality challenges require collective and coordinated solutions. ICIMOD’s ongoing work in Nepal and Bhutan demonstrates a phased, science-based approach including emissions inventories, source apportionment, policy and financing gap assessments, and the design of implementation and monitoring systems. This approach is designed to be adaptable and scalable, providing a potential plan for other countries in the region.

In addition, ICIMOD, in collaboration with the World Bank, has developed a comprehensive framework on the Science Policy and Finance Dialogue (SPFD) for regional cooperation to provide a practical and action-oriented roadmap. This forthcoming framework document outlines a delivery plan with strategic planning for achieving air quality cooperation in the IGP-HF, serving as a tool for policy alignment across countries.

The session at Clean Air Week will outline a concrete pathway to strategically align national planning efforts for air quality management with the regional cooperation framework. It will explore how NCAPs can contribute to and shape the agenda of the SPFD’s thematic working group on regional coordination. It aims to facilitate peer-to-peer exchange, promote south-south learning, showcase adaptable planning models, and examine the institutional and financial mechanisms necessary for sustained and impactful implementation.

The session will also provide an opportunity for country partners to engage in a global forum, enabling them to explore regional perspectives and collaborative approaches that can be effectively integrated into their respective NCAPs for long-term air quality strategies.

Objectives

The objectives of the session include:

• Promoting south-south learning through the sharing of replicable planning models and institutional innovations.
• From national action to regional cooperation
• Creating space for country representatives to engage in a global forum and reflect on regional perspectives.

ICIMOD’s participation at the UN Clean Air Week is supported by the Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP), supported by the United Kingdom International Development.