Air quality data analysis

About the workshop

The Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP) of International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is organising a five-day regional training workshop on air quality data analysis to enhance the capacity of our country partners to monitor air quality, analyse air quality data, and better understand the intersections between air quality and social and gender aspects. Expected participants are from government agencies, academia, and non-governmental organisations working in air pollution across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region.

The event is being led by ICIMOD’s Action Area Air, housed within ICIMOD’s Strategic Group-Climate and Environmental Risks and funded by the United Kingdom International Development. The participants will receive hands-on training guided by The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI).

Objectives

The objectives of this event are to:

• Build the capacity of partner institutions – government institutions, academia, non-governmental partners and other relevant stakeholders – to monitor air quality, analyse air quality data, and widen understanding of the intersections between air quality and social and gender aspects.
• Facilitate south–south learning and the exchange of knowledge and experiences around air quality management among partner countries.

Expected outcomes

The workshop will strengthen the capacity of ICIMOD’s regional member countries (RMCs) to monitor and analyse air quality, while improving understanding of the gender and social dimensions of air pollution. Supporting partners in building these skills will promote integrated, evidence-based policies and foster regional cooperation for effective air quality management.

In detail, the outcomes will focus on:

• Air quality data analytics
  To strengthen partner countries’ capacity, we have been providing training programmes on air quality data analysis for government officials, academicians and other relevant stakeholders involved in air quality monitoring and research. Building on previous capacity-building activities, ICIMOD, in collaboration with the Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) is providing training on air quality data analytics. This training will cover a range of topics – from understanding data types to processing and visualisation.
• Data analysis tool
  As part of its data analysis support activities, ICIMOD’s experts have developed a tool to handle large air quality datasets efficiently. This tool enhances the ability to extract necessary statistical parameters from the dataset. During this training workshop, participants will be introduced to this tool and trained in its practical use for analysing air quality data.
• Emissions measurement and inventory
  Participants will also gain knowledge on methods for measuring air pollutant emissions and compiling emission inventories, essential for understanding sources and designing mitigation strategies.
• Air pollution and its gender and social dimensions
  The training will explore how household and health data can be integrated into air quality analysis to reveal the different impacts of air pollution on communities based on gender and social factors. It will highlight the importance of incorporating these insights into monitoring and policymaking to support more inclusive and equitable solutions.
• Learning exchange in the area of air quality monitoring
  Further, the workshop will facilitate knowledge sharing and South–South learning among participants, promoting collaboration and exchange of experiences on best practices in air quality monitoring across the region.

Background

Over recent decades, the HKH region has been affected by rising emissions of air pollutants from urban, industrial, and rural sources. This has raised concerns about deteriorating air quality, impacts on health and visibility, changes in atmospheric heating and cooling, and changes in cloud formation as well as the strength and timing of monsoons. The impacts of these pollutants are visible across the region, with increasing stratospheric pollution above the Tibetan Plateau, deposition of light-absorbing substances on snow and ice surfaces, and accelerated melting of the Himalayan cryosphere.

ICIMOD aims to improve understanding of air pollutant emissions, atmospheric processes and change, and their impacts while promoting mitigation and policy solutions, and building capacity and collaboration in the HKH and upwind regions. We focus on studies that involve rigorous social and scientific analysis, using multiple data sets or combinations of field data, modelling, and remote-sensing analysis. These efforts are expected to contribute to shaping policies and strategies in the region.