Framing a National Action Plan on Deteriorating Air Quality

26 July, 2018

The Nilgiri Hall, The Oberoi, New Delhi, India

AirQualityAsia and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) held a Second Round-Table Consultation on “Clearing the Air – Addressing India’s Air Pollution Crisis” on July 25-26, 2018. AQA Board Member, Hon. Dr. Shashi Tharoor, MP, India held the First Round-Table Consultation in July 2017 highlighting the health dimensions of the air pollution crisis. The Second Round-Table expanded the focus to Economic Cost of Air Pollution, Financing India’s Low Carbon Transition, and Smart Cities/Sustainable Transport. The two-day meeting was addressed by Hon. Dr. Shashi Tharoor, MP, India, Chair, External Relations Committee, Hon. Anand Sharma, MP, India, Chair, Environment Committee and Mr. Sunjoy Joshi, Chairman, ORF.

Over 100 participants from research institutes, health sector, the World Bank, and the media attended the sessions. The deliberations took the work on air pollution to the next level of implementable strategies. Panelists included representatives from the Ministries of Finance and Housing and Urban Affairs, UNFCCC, the World Bank, Global Health Strategies, The Climate Group, the Center for Urban and Regional Excellence, ICF International, among others. Parliamentary participation was also wide-ranging with MPs from six political parties, seven states across the entire country and five parliamentary committees. Our next stage of work will include legislative committees at both federal and state levels.

In May 2018, the World Health Organisation released its list of ‘20 Most Polluted Cities in the World’; out of which 14 cities are in India. There is a growing and urgent need for a National Action Plan to tackle the deteriorating air quality in the country. In July 2017, a group of air quality experts, civil society stakeholders, and Parliamentarians were brought together to discuss the dimensions of the current air quality crisis in India and the possibility of a collaborative partnership to address this issue. As a follow-up, the 2nd edition of the round-table seeks to convene a wider spectrum of stakeholders representing government, NGOs, academia, media, and industry to deliberate upon the creation of a National Action Plan on air quality. This plan will primarily focus on both the provisional and pragmatic solutions towards the overarching air quality struggle of India.