Established in 2004 by IUAPPA in conjunction with the Stockholm Environment Institute, the Global Atmospheric Pollution Forum aims to promote understanding of, and action on air pollution at the regional, hemispheric and global scales. 

Origins and Objectives

The need for action to reduce air pollution at the regional and hemispheric scale has become increasingly evident. Over 1,730,000 premature deaths result each year from air pollution (World Health Organisation, 2002) and, in Asia and Africa, in particular, air pollution has a significant and damaging impact on crop yields and economic activity.

While most of the effects of pollution occur in the immediate area of their emission, many pollutants transported over long distances represent a major component of the total pollution loading into the atmosphere.  Phenomena, such as the Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC) in Asia demonstrate the impact that major atmospheric processes, can have on public well-being.  Many of these problems must be tackled at the regional, hemispheric or even global scale. 

Over the three decades since the establishment of the LRTAP Convention in the UNECE, a significant number of regional networks have emerged to tackle the problems in different parts of the globe, supported by a number of major multi-lateral research programmes. To date however they have operated largely in isolation.

The Union concluded in 2004 that more effective global mechanisms were required to share experience and identify opportunities for effective collaboration if further progress was to be made. They were needed not just to promote action at the regional scale, but also to develop a shared capacity to address issues at the hemispheric scale, and to contribute effectively to the debate about the now critical interaction of climate change and pollution.

As a result, IUAPPA and the Stockholm Environment Institute, established the Global Atmospheric Pollution Forum in 2004.  The Union and SEI jointly provide the secretariat for the Forum.

In November 2006, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency  (Sida) announced the award of a major grant of approximately $2 million to the Forum on Mitigating the Impact of Air Pollution at Regional Scale on Health, Environment and Economic Development.  Under this grant the Forum’s programme is focusing in three areas:

• Inter-Governmental Networks:  Encouraging the establishment or strengthening of regional air pollution networks around the world;
• Technical Cooperation and Capacity-Building:  Encouraging the harmonization of technical systems and information and assessment processes between regions and providing a stronger basis for effective capacity building in those regions where it is most needed; and
• Consensus Building and Policy Development:  Facilitating consensus development among regional groups and stakeholders on scientific and policy issues to help support the emergence of cooperative action on air pollution at inter-regional, hemispheric and global scales.

In December 2007 the Global Forum received another grant from Sida to develop a programme and hold a major international conference on Global Air Pollution and Climate Change Co-benefits.  The programme and conference will focus on:

1. Optimizing integrated strategies for air pollution and climate change;

2. Potential regional, hemispheric and global frameworks for managing air pollution and their relevance to and interaction with the climate change community; and

3. Delivering co-benefits at urban, national and regional scales in developing regions.