Air Pollution in Asia's Cities Far From Lost Cause, ADB Vice-President Tells Manila Workshop
MANILA, PHILIPPINES (17 December 2003) - There is reason for optimism that air quality in Asia's cities can be improved in the years to come, ADB Vice-President Geert van der Linden told the opening of a workshop on air quality here today. Delivering an opening statement at the workshop on better air quality management in Asia (BAQ 2003), Mr. van der Linden pointed out that one sign of progress is the increasing attention being given to the issue by the public, civil society, governments, international organizations, and the private sector. "The information we have gathered shows us that air quality management is by no means a hopeless task and it is possible, even within modest means, to improve city air quality," he said. Mr. van der Linden said that the public is becoming more aware of pollution and its consequences and demanding more action from governments to protect public health. Meanwhile, countries and cities are starting to put in place long-term comprehensive approaches to air quality management that emphasize prevention rather than cure. The private sector, traditionally perceived as the polluter is "becoming part of the solution not part of the problem," as it realizes that antipollution measures make good business sense. A fourth trend is the growth in regional initiatives in air quality management in Asia. This provides a clear signal that international organizations are taking a much greater interest in the issue. "These trends, together with rapid developments in technology which can substantially reduce pollution from both stationary and mobile sources, give us reason to be optimistic that air quality in Asia will improve in the years to come," he said. However, he cautioned that World Health Organization figures show that every year almost 500,000 people in Asia die prematurely because of bad air. "Inevitably it is the poor who are least able to protect themselves from polluted air or to deal with its pernicious effects," he said. "The economic costs of air pollution are increasingly well documented. For many cities in Asia, they run to hundreds of millions of dollars a year." BAQ 2003, which runs until Friday, will review and discuss the current status of air quality management and control techniques in the region and identify priorities for the further strengthening of air quality management. Participants include government officials and representatives from international organizations, bilateral agencies, private sector and civil society. The event is co-organized by the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities, the Air Pollution in Mega-cities of Asia project, and the Partnership for Clean Air. BAQ 2003 is financially supported by a range of private sector sponsors and by ADB, World Bank, United States Asia Environment Partnership, Swedish International Development Agency, EMBARQ, German Agency for Technical Cooperation, Internal Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, Institute for Global Environmental Studies, and the Health Effects Institute. Read the full speech. | 
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