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International organizations, cooperation & agreements
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution
ASEAN Speciailized Meteorological Centre (ASMC)
Institutions
Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET)
Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA)
Haze (including annual Haze Outlook)
Air Quality Monitoring
Air Pollution in Asia: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map @ Air Quality Index
Current Air Quality (South Korea) @ Air Korea @ Ministry of Environment (South Korea)
Air Quality Information (Seoul)
Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring Network @ (Environmental Protection Administvation, Executive (Taiwan)
Regional Average Particulate Air Pollution @ Berkeley Earth
Select readings on TBAP in Asia
· In reverse chronological order.
· 2022 ~ Helena Varkkey ~ Environmental Policy & Governance
· Non-state actors in Singapore have been successful in addressing the transboundary haze issue
by fitting in to the geopolitics of ASEAN. They prioritize economic strategies over overtly political
aspects of transboundary pollution.
· Highlights the role of NGOs in (1) catalyzing environmental change in response to social realities
and (2) exercising power through strategic engagement with international and state actors
Transboundary air pollution and health: Evidence from East Asia
· 2021 ~ Jaehyun Jung, Anna Choi and Semee Yoon ~ Environment and Development Economics
· Links the daily levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) in Beijing with daily levels of South Korean cities.
· Successfully identified a lagging effect of transboundary air pollution leaving Beijing that increased
fetal mortality rates in South Korea as well as poor air pollution conditions and local pollution trends.
Acute health impacts of the Southeast Asian transboundary haze problem
· 2019 ~ Kang, et al. ~ International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
· Seasonal haze carried by wind has exacerbated symptoms such as sore throat, dry mouth, nose
discomfort, eye discomfort, headache, shortness of breath and skin irritation. In some cases, it is also
linked to psychological stress in Singapore.
· More severe health effects of seasonal haze include an increased mortality rate, increased correlation
to cardiovascular diseases, and increased risk of cerebrovascular disease.
· While all these correlations are discussed, not all have been explained.
Environmental cooperation of Northeast Asia: Transboundary air pollution
· 2007 ~ Inkoung Kim ~ International Relations of the Asia-Pacific
· Uses an international relations lens to investigate why environmental cooperation in Northeast Asia is
less successful than in Europe (specifically with their approach to acid rain).
· The slow progress in cooperation between Northeast Asian countries can be attributed to two main
factors: (1) no agreement among the countries in the region regarding the ecological susceptibility to
transboundary acid deposition, (2) the high expenses involved in reducing emissions.
· Notes that Japan, as a leading country in Asia, doesn't have expert communities on this issue, which
might be hindering the progress of the entire region.
Modelling transboundary air pollution in Southeast Asia: Policy regime and the role of stakeholders
· 2004 ~ Asif Iqbal Siddiqui and Euston Quah ~ Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space
· Transboundary air pollution—or haze—in Southeast Asia is caused primarily by Indonesian forest fires,
driven by economic motivations.
· The polluters and victims (affected residents and forest industries) are important stakeholders who should
actively participate in developing policies that satisfy their economic needs while addressing the haze problem.
· A regional model is developed to analyze and address the issue, highlighting the importance of investment
in firefighting, risk mitigation, and weather forecasting.
Pollution: Gasping for Solutions
Transboundary air pollution (TBAP) in Asia
Contents of this page:
· International organizations
· Institutions
· Air quality monitoring
Raquel Feldman of Brandeis University contributed to this page in 2023.