Asia on fire: Open burning status, impacts and solutions

Open burning is one of the most ubiquitous sources not only of air pollution, but also of greenhouse gases. From municipal waste burning, which majorly contributes to degradation of local air quality, to large-scale agricultural/biomass burning, which can contribute to seasonal episodes of air pollution, open burning is an issue that must be tackled at multiple levels and engaging different disciplines. A clear understanding of the scale of the open burning issue and its impacts to help design and implement appropriate mitigation actions. This webinar will discuss the scale, types, and impacts of open burning occurrences in different parts of Asia, including how these are being monitored, and what factors contribute to their prevalence. It will also include case studies in Thailand and Vietnam, and feature their current efforts and ongoing challenges to address this issue.

• Open burning types and occurrence/severity in Asia
• Impacts of open burning, with focus on air pollutant emissions and climate forcers
• Open burning management actions and solutions

Please contact mariakatherina.patdu [at] un.org or dang.espita [at] cleanairasia.org for more information.

Speakers

• Ms. Dang Espita-Casanova
  Program Lead, Air Quality and Climate Change
  Clean Air Asia
• Dr. Savitri Garivait
  Chairperson of Environmental Division
  King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thailand
• Dr. Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet
  Dean
  School of Environment Science and Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology
• Dr. Ly Bich Thuy
  School of Environment Science and Technology
  Hanoi University of Science and Technology