International Conference on Air Quality Management in Southeast Asia

The Southeast Asia Urban Environmental Management Applications (SEA-UEMA) Project, in cooperation with the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, will hold the International Conference on Air Quality Management in Southeast Asia on November 21 to 23, 2007.

The three-day event, which will be held in Ho Chi Minh City, brings together a diverse pool of researchers, experts, policymakers and development organizations to tackle crucial issues related to improving air quality in urban areas across Southeast Asia.

Conference Objectives
The conference is being organized with the following objectives:

1. To disseminate lessons learned and research results from the SEA-UEMA project activities as well as other related stakeholders on Air Quality Management (AQM);

2. To exchange views and ideas on economic, financial, institutional, environmental health, urban planning, social and gender equality issues, and community aspects of AQM among the SEA countries;

3. To discuss national and regional air pollution concerns, and urban clean air action plan;

4. To identify the deficiencies/inadequacies between the scope of current policies and practices in AQM.

Conference participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam, among others, will specifically tackle seven priority themes that are essential to improving air quality within the region.

These themes are:
1.) air quality management and modeling;
2.) air quality management and policy issues;
3.) socio-economic considerations in air quality management;
4.) sustainable transport planning and energy systems;
5.) impact monitoring and integrated assessment approach to urban air quality;
6.) gender and social equality concerns in air quality improvement;
7.) health risks related to air quality deterioration in Asian cities.

Aside from serving as a dynamic platform to exchange ideas and experiences on air quality management, the conference is expected to produce action-oriented results such as the development and adoption of sound policies geared towards the improvement of air quality in the Southeast Asian region.

The SEA-UEMA Project is a joint initiative of the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand and the Canadian International Development Agency. The project aims to improve urban environmental management policies and good practices in the region.

Contact details
Dr. Nowarat Coowanitwong, SEA UEMA Project, AIT Tel: + 66 2 524 6132 Email: [email protected]
Dr. Nguyen Phuoc Dan, Department Of Environment, HCMUT Tel: + 84 8 863 9682 Email: [email protected]

http://www.sea-uema.ait.ac.th/ARL/Conf_Nov07_AQM/Second_Ann_AQM_July25.pdf