Breath of Fresh Air in Asia

In February 2001 leaders from a dozen Asian cities met with representatives from international donor agencies and the private sector in Bangkok, Thailand, for the launch of the World Bank-sponsored Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities. The initiative is intended to strengthen the ability of national and municipal governments to effectively manage urban air quality and protect public health. Industrial growth in the region has been accompanied by increased factory and vehicular emissions. According to the World Bank, air pollution causes $500 million in health-related damages each year in Bangkok alone.

Municipal environmental officials outlined what their cities have done and are currently doing to combat declining air quality. The initiative is cosponsored by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Ford Motor Company, the Asian Development Bank, and the governments of Japan and the Netherlands.

COPYRIGHT 2001 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group