Clearing the Air
|
Automotive vehicle emissions, once largely a problem of developed countries, is an alarming environmental problem in developing countries.
Rapid urbanization, motorization and economic growth, outdated technology, pollution increase, and demand for rod services are contributors to an increasing air pollution problem in most growth centers.
Studies indicate that without effective measures to curb air pollution, some 300-400 million city-dwellers in developing countries will become exposed to unhealthy and dangerous levels of air pollution in the next decade.
As one of the developing countries with a rapidly growing economy, the PRC especially its large cities, are also facing a similar environmental threat.
Air quality in most PRC cities and in many rural areas is poor. Pollution from vehicles is increasing rapidly and has drawn attention to particular pollutants. They are associated with
The contribution from the transport sector is estimated by 30-50% of the environment pollution in PRC cities. Recent data of some large cities show that the air pollution contribution from motor vehicles is much higher than before, as shown in Table 1: Share of Traffic Emissions in Selected Chinese Cities.
Vehicle emission has become one of the most important sources of urban air pollution in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
| CO | HC | Nox | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing (2000) | 76.8% | 78.3% | 40.0% |
| Shanghai (1996) | 86.0% | 96.0% | 56.0% |
| Guangzhou (2000) | 83.8% | 50% | 45% |
| Shenyang (1990) | 27-38% | 45-53% |
Studies on transport and emission control often take a technological focus. Technology improvements can be aimed at the vehicle - e.g., emissions control, and the fuel - e.g., alternative.
Moreover, wide ranges of policy measures have recently been proposed to cope with the high social costs of automotive pollution. For example,
Experiences from different countries and cities have shown that there is no single unambiguous and effective remedy. Because there are so many complex factors interacting in the transport sector's effect on pollution, a holistic approach is necessary, that is, a combination of all the types of policy measures.
These control strategies and policies are required to be based on a scientific understanding of the pollution characteristics. Within this framework, it is important to project the total vehicular emissions and the high pollutants concentration in the development of new projects in order to develop sound vehicular pollution control policies.
Regulating vehicle emissions is the responsibility of local environmental protection bureaus, in cooperation with the traffic division of the public security bureaus. Vehicles are subject to annual inspection, which can be done on a customized basis for fleets of transport enterprises.
In addition, vehicle emission testing is carried out at some city boundaries, where time-bound permits are issued for use of the vehicle in the city. There is also random testing on highways. These activities are self-financing; inspection fees and fines are sufficient to fund expanding the inspection and testing programs.
As development of the national highway will introduce inter-provincial movement of vehicles, there is a need to harmonize differences in vehicle emission control and regulations, and the related enforcement and monitoring, testing, certification, and inspection procedures among provinces.
This issue is being addressed under a ADB Regional Technical Assistance including the PRC, which is assisting the Government in developing and implementing policies to reduce vehicle emissions on a regional basis, with activities focusing primarily on
Under this TA, a workshop was held in Chongqing in November 2001 to discuss vehicle inspection and maintenance and to develop an action plan for the PRC. The final action plan has been assessed at a regional workshop, which was held in Manila in February 2002.
With a rapid growth in population and vehicle ownership and slow action by authorities, air pollution conditions will deteriorate further if no mitigation measures are taken.
At present, Chengdu ranks among the top 10 polluted cities in PRC.
The fragmentation of responsibility, lack of interdepartmental coordination, together with inadequate base data and monitoring system prevent the formulation of any specific targets for reduction in key pollutants such as CO, NOx, PM10, and non-methane hydrocarbons.
There is an annual program for testing vehicle emissions in Sichuan Province, and a road side testing is also carried out in Panzhihua City where the project alignment passes. To address this issue, assistance will be provided under the international consulting services of the proposed Southern Sichuan expressway to provide training to the staff involved with vehicle emissions inspection and testing.
Assistance will also be provided, in light of the findings of the ongoing ADB TA on vehicle emissions, to formulate general provincial guidelines for vehicle emissions reduction and develop an action plan for Liangshan and Panzhihua.
The Executing Agency of the proposed Southern Sichuan Roads Development and related bodies have been requested to undertake all necessary actions to mitigate environmental of vehicular traffic. They should cooperatively
Implementing such a program will require a cooperative effort among a number of agencies, jurisdictions, community as well as Government commitment and leadership.
The recommended approach is to implement a pilot vehicle emission testing and certification program, focusing initially on diesel trucks, 2 or 3 wheelers, buses, taxis and all government vehicles. The program then could be assessed and adapted for areawide implementation. The pilot program could include
An action plan is required to promote an efficient vehicle emission reduction measures in the province, and in the project area.
An integrated approach may be adopted to facilitate the implementation of the action plan. Various departments such as communications department, environmental bureau, and PSB should participate in the implementation of the plan. Fuel companies, private sector, and NGO groups can be involved.
Modification of current programs of the environmental bureau and optimisation of resources is necessary to enhance emissions reduction in the project area. Formulation of a better fine system and other measures will generate some revenue to support the program. Modification of the vehicle-testing centres and inspection will also provide some fund to support the proposed program.
A vehicle emissions specialist will be provided under the consulting services, covering emissions strategy development, enforcement management, prevention measures, socioeconomic cost and critical issues of successful emission control programs. This assistance will
Co-ordination between the EA, environmental bureau, and PSB, is essential. The environmental protection bureau will take the lead in implementing the action plan, provide the necessary services, and assign senior officials to ensure smooth implementation and co-ordination with all parties.
Fuel companies, private sector, and NGO groups may also be involved. Implementation of the above program will fulfil requirements of current ADB and PRC Government actions to enhance air quality and minimise greenhouse and global effects.
Further development of current Vehicle Testing Centres to create an integrated vehicle testing system - both safety and vehicle emissions - will be a cost-effective method to support the program.
________________________
Learn about ADB's strong partnership with the PRC
Visit our PRC site
© 2009 Asian Development Bank Privacy | Terms of Use |
 Top of page |