In order to improve air quality, the European Union introduced the New Air Quality Directive in 2008 and set its Member States strict targets on air pollution concentrations for the most harmful and challenging substances, such as fine particles. The law enforcement relies on a monitoring and reporting system to inform the European Commission and the public, for it is the citizens’ right to be inf...

The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched in 2019 to improve air quality in India by reducing particulate matter (PM) concentrations by 20-30% by 2024. It was later extended to 2026 with a revised target of a 40% reduction in PM10 levels compared to 2017 (NCAP, 2019). The programme has faced challenges and shortcomings, as highlighted in the preceding 'Tracing the Hazy Air 2022, 2023 an...

This paper analyses the environmental communication of three actors in China (government, media, and public) on World Environment Day (WED) from 2013 to 2022. It employs social network analysis (SNA) and content analysis to compare the topics and strategies of each participant, thereby generalizing China’s environmental communication experience. The study reveals three distinct approaches aligned ...

Kathmandu is a multicultural metropolitan city and the political, cultural, and financial center of Nepal. The Kathmandu Valley has experienced rapid urbanization and population growth, an increase in vehicular traffic, and widespread urban infrastructure development including homes, schools, hospitals, and industries. This construction requires brick kilns, boilers, and other sources of pollution...

Mexico City, one of the largest urban centers in the world with 22 million inhabitants, has long wrestled with severe air pollution problems.  In June 2014, Tanya Müller Garcia, Secretary of Environment (SEDEMA) of the government of Mexico City announced a controversial step to tighten the Hoy No Circula Program (HNC), also known as No-drive days. The goal of the program, first implemented in...

Maintaining air quality is an important environmental challenge, affecting both urban and regional areas where industrial, agricultural, and energy activities intersect. The Upper Hunter Valley, NSW, experiences emissions from coal mining, power generation, agriculture, and wood fires, compounded by local meteorology, geology, and climate change. This study applies a political economy framework to...

Air pollution in developing countries is a growing concern. It is associated with urbanization and social and economic structures. The understanding of how social factors can influence the perception and the potential impact of air pollution have not been addressed sufficiently. This paper addresses the social vulnerability and exposure to PM10 association and its influence on the air quality perc...

In 2013, a survey on air quality (AQ) was conducted in Wuhan, China. The aim was to investigate public awareness of air pollution, and its epidemiological effect. This survey targeted both suburban and central city regions of Wuhan city, between August and December of 2013, where it engaged 1225 participants. Approximately 65% perceived AQ in Wuhan to be “bad”. Over 95% recognized a causal associa...

The aim of this study was to investigate ways to improve community access to information on, and understanding of, air quality in the Lower Hunter region which consists of the local government areas of Newcastle, Cessnock, Lake Macquarie, Maitland and Port Stephens. The project involved an extensive search of the literature which included examining national and international studies. It employed I...

More than half of the world’s population now lives in cities as a result of unprecedented urbanization during the second half of the 20th century. The urban population is projected to increase to 68% by 2050, with most of the increase occurring in Asia and Africa. Population growth and increased energy consumption in urban areas lead to high levels of atmospheric pollutants that harm human health,...