ADB Official Calls for Stronger Leadership on Air Quality

YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA - A workshop on Better Air Quality (BAQ) 2006 opened here today with a senior ADB official calling for strong political leadership on urban air quality management.

"It is our collective responsibility to identify and follow a sustainable path to economic development," said Bindu Lohani, Director General of ADB's Regional and Sustainable Development Department. "This must include new approaches to transport and mobility, stronger enforcement of air quality regulations coupled with innovative policies like emissions trading regimes, stricter fuel quality requirements, and tighter vehicle fuel efficiency standards, backed by strong political will to carry out the necessary reforms.

Mr. Lohani pointed out that some 44 million people are being added to the region’s cities each year –equivalent to 120,000 people every day. At that rate, there will be about 2 billion urban residents in Asia a decade from now.

"To accommodate these people, a huge amount of cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, and other motorized vehicles is being added to our streets, their number doubling every 5 to 7 years. The ramifications of this for air quality are daunting," he said.

The human health toll from air pollution is more than 500,000 premature deaths annually in Asia, he said, with the poor suffering the most.

Dependence on coal to meet the region's ever growing energy needs as economic growth continues apace also presents heavy air pollution risks, he said. This has huge implications for the region's emissions of greenhouse gases, which are set to become the largest in the world over the next few years.

Since 2001, BAQ has become the most significant and relevant gathering for stakeholders involved with air quality management in Asia. At this year's event – the fifth to be held - about 1,000 participants are expected over three days from more than 35 countries, with a third coming from outside Asia, including from key government and local government officials, ADB, academe, NGOs, development agencies, media, and private sector.

The event is coordinated and organized by the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia), a regional network promoting and demonstrating innovative ways to improve the air quality of Asian cities through partnerships, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment of Indonesia, the Special Region of Yogyakarta, City of Yogyakarta.

Created in 2001 with support from ADB, the World Bank and the US-Asia Environmental Partnership, CAI-Asia's Secretariat has been supported by and housed at ADB’s headquarters in Manila.

"Now we are pleased to be associated with the next logical move in its institutional development," Mr. Lohani said.

"The General Assembly of CAI-Asia yesterday approved its transformation into a sustainable legal entity. We can look on this as source of pride, as one would a child that after careful nurturing has come of age."

Mr. Lohani said ADB would continue to play a key role in improving the environment, including air quality in the region, through support for CAI-Asia in its next phase and working with ADB’s developing member countries on grant and loan projects.

About ADB