Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP)

In the 1960s, scientists investigated the causes of “acid rain,” which was devastating forests, depleting fish populations in lakes, and threatening entire ecosystems across the Northern Hemisphere. They discovered that air pollutants — many emitted thousands of kilometers away — were the primary culprit.

To address this issue, 32 countries in the pan-European region decided to cooperate to reduce air pollution. In 1979, they signed the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, creating the first international treaty to deal with air pollution on a broad regional scale. The Convention, which entered into force in 1983, established the principles of international cooperation for air pollution control and created an institutional framework that has since brought together science and policy. Over time, the scope of the Convention and its protocols has expanded to include additional pollutants, such as ground-level ozone, persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and particulate matter.

The Convention has significantly influenced the evolution of international environmental law and serves as a vital framework for mitigating the harmful effects of transboundary air pollution on human health and the environment. It is a successful example of what can be achieved through intergovernmental cooperation.