Clean Air In The City

Clean air in cities Effective air pollution control is the litmus test of urban environmental policy. It will be successful if the principles of integrated air quality management are observed. In order to prevent emissions on a sustainable basis, GTZ takes technical, political and social factors into consideration.

To the inhabitants of many cities in the industrialised countries, blue skies go without saying. The fact that levels of pollutants in urban air are comparatively low in spite of massive industrial activity and heavy traffic is a result of years of tough struggles to establish air pollution control. But anyone going to Mexico City, Santiago de Chile, Beijing or Bangkok will suddenly once again experience what it is like when the sky no longer turns blue. In many cities in the developing countries, air pollution is an everyday concern. Across the world, 1.4 billion people are inhaling air with pollution levels above the standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Sometimes the concentration of the pollutants is three to four times as high. Figure 1 shows the situation in a number of megacities for three selected criteria pollutants in comparison to Paris. The strain on the cardiovascular system, diseases of the respiratory tract and an increased risk of cancer are shortening life expectancy in the cities. According to WHO estimates, around three million people die each year owing to the impact air pollution has on health. Air pollution also affects the water and the soil. It harms ecosystems and damages historic buildings. The pollutants are created by the combustion of fuels and fossil energy sources. So the transport sector, manufacturing industry and the energy sector are the biggest air polluters. Using the example of Mexico City, Figure 2 demonstrates the shares of some particularly harmful pollutants that result in damage to health and the environment to a considerable degree. The situation is similar in other cities. It is above all the high levels of emissions from vehicles that cause concern. The numbers of cars are enormously increasing in the rapidly growing cities. The OECD estimates that the global number of motor vehicles will be in excess of 1.3 billion by 2020. In most Asian cities, the motorised two and three-wheelers also make a considerable contribution to air pollution. The dynamic growth of the population, industry and cities aggravates the problem.

Uncontrolled urban sprawl A second important factor in air pollution is urban, transport and settlement planning that is either lacking or misconceived in many cities. Uncontrolled urban sprawl, poor suburban public transport systems and sticking to the paradigm of the “car-friendly city” make many people dependent on individual motorisation. Not only does a policy promoting traffic generate growing air pollution levels, it also increasingly results in traffic jams and puts an excessive strain on an infrastructure that is usually insufficient anyway. Given an average growth rate of cities – especially in Asia – of up to eight percent annually, traffic volumes are expected to double every seven years. Prolonged transport planning taking up to ten years – which is usually the case in the industrialised countries – can hardly be practicable

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here anymore. All that can help is an integrated transport, urban and settlement planning approach that aims at avoiding traffic. However, such concepts have hardly ever been tested so far. The third key cause of air pollution is the insufficient environmental policy framework of many countries. Giving consideration to a sustainable environmental and health policy is deliberately postponed to the advantage of short-term economic growth interests. And often, public awareness is lacking of the air pollution control problem and solution options and opportunities. In spite of dramatic air pollution levels in Mexico City and Santiago de Chile, no experience was gathered with air pollution control until the early 1990s. Even today, important legal foundations are still not in place in many countries. Equipment, qualifications and the ability to assert positions against the opposition of ministries of economics and transport are lacking. Against this background, it is difficult to respond to the problem of air pollution in an appropriate manner. Nevertheless, more and more countries and cities are finding suitable approaches. International development cooperation has made a significant contribution to this trend. International platforms such as the World Bank Clean Air Initiative (CAI), local Agenda 21 processes, the International Council for Local Environment Initiatives (ICLEI) and several local city networks in various continents are enabling an in-

µg/m3

PM

SO2

NO2

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WHO guideline for NO2: 40 µg/m3

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WHO guideline for SO2: 50 µg/m3

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WHO guideline for particulate matter: 90 µg/m3

150 100 50 0 Beijing

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Paris

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Mexico City

Alarming values. Just under one-anda-half billion people are breathing in air with pollution levels above the limit values recommended by the WHO. Sometimes the concentration of the pollutants is three to four times higher. The diagram shows the situation in a number of megacities for three selected pollutants.Paris is shown in comparison. Source: The World Bank

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tensive exchange of knowledge and experience between politics, science, associations, civil society and industry. This paves the way for more effective steps towards an integrated air pollution control policy combining several aspects.

Four aspects of integrated air quality management The first task of an integrated air pollution control policy is to gather better information on air quality and pollution sources. So one key element of air pollution control is to establish a reliable air measuring and inventory system enabling statements on conditions and forecasts of future developments. Not only is carefully ascertained information the basis of all decisions on air pollution control, it also raises their credibility and acceptance by the public. The second factor of an integrated air pollution control policy is that the most important contributions to air pollution control first of all have to be effected among the chief emitters. As a rule, simple and tried-and-tested methods are available for this purpose. In the transport sector, for instance, they include: lead-free petrol, improved fuel quality, cars fitted with catalytic converters, converting bus fleets running on diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG), improved emissions standards and technical inspections for motorised vehicles as well as tax differentials favouring compliance with low emissions standards. Many countries are already orienting themselves on the emissions standards and procedures of the European Union and the United States. Much is being achieved with filtering units in the energy and industrial sector. Ecologically efficient concepts are very effective as well. Here, so-called end-of-pipe solutions are simply not enough. Rather, the aim is to prevent emissions by applying an innovative and clever design of production processes and industrial plant. Our development specialists recommend that easily achievable goals be tackled first. In this manner, important experience in improving air quality can be gathered and public acceptance can be raised, which gets the processes going. Gaining speed in this way is important. For in view of the prolonged problem solutions, technology alone is not going to be enough – especially if it is getting more and more expensive and increasingly elaborate for any additional reductions. Moreover, if energy and fuel consumption is reduced on a lasting basis, emissions of both air pollutants and greenhouse gases will be reduced.Thus air quality management also makes effective contributions to climate policy. The third aspect of integrated air pollution control is that of complementing technical means with urban development. Here, the accent is on maintaining success in air pollution control that can, as a rule, be easily achieved with technical measures, on a lasting basis. For given the continuing growth of the

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Major sources of air pollutants in cities include transport (mobile sources such as cars, trucks, buses etc.), the energy sector, industry and housing. In some cities, e.g. Mexico City, volcanic activity contributes significantly to pollutants such as Particulate Matter (PM10).

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other sources natural sources point sources mobile sourcces

cities, industries and traffic flows, there is the threat of a relapse into increasing pollution in the longer term. Such a threat has to be countered with suitable urban, settlement and transport planning. The most important target is to reduce traffic flows without restricting people’s mobility wherever possible. This can only be achieved if people in the cities can switch to other, attractive means of transport in the long run (public transport, non-motorised transport). Gentle political pressure exerted by fuel and road taxes can accelerate this modal shift. In addition, it is important to enhance the capabilities and capacities of environmental administrations.The authorities have to be appropriately staffed and qualified to plan, co-ordinate, finance and effectively assume overall control of an air pollution control policy. The key prerequisite for successful air pollution control is a clear political commitment and a mediumterm strategy that sets an obligatory course. National and urban environmental action plans, which have already been developed and successfully implemented in some countries, are important steps in this direction (e.g. the Third Air Pollution Control Programme in Mexico City, 2002-2010). Modern air quality management includes all options to avoid emissions on a lasting basis. Short-term actionism or purely symbolic measures are not helpful. Nobody wishing to achieve sustained improvements in the quality of life will manage this without integrated air pollution control. The integrated philosophy also includes creating environmental awareness among the population and involving trade and manufacturing industry, the transport industry, NGOs, science, the media and civil society. Our partner countries have had good experience with support given by GTZ and its integrated approach. Ultimately, the ability and readiness of the cities to initiate an integrated air pollution control policy are the litmus tests for an effective environmental policy in developing countries. When people experience that the sky above their cities really can get blue again, this will release energy for sustainable development. The author is a member of the GTZ Division for Environment and Infrastructure.

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