About the event

The theme for the fourth annual International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, “Together for Clean Air”, focuses on the urgent need for stronger partnerships, increased investment, and shared responsibility to overcome air pollution. Air pollution, indoors and outdoors, directly impacts human and ecosystem health. We all share and breathe the same air and have a responsibility to protect our atmosphere and ensure healthy air for everyone.

To mark this day, we are organising a half-day outreach workshop centred around the theme. The event will extend invitations to various governmental and private organisations, institutes, local and national NGOs, civil society representatives, and members of the media engaged, either directly or indirectly, in addressing environmental concerns, particularly those related to air quality.

Objectives

• Join the global community in marking the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies and raise awareness on the shared responsibility to protect the planet’s atmosphere
• Disseminate our knowledge on air quality data generation and its use for air quality management in the region
• Initiate the talk about the issues and challenges in combating air pollution and coming together for achieving clean air.

Background

The Second Committee of the 74th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 7 September as the “International Day of Clean Air for blue skies”. The resolution stresses the importance of, and urgent need to, raise public awareness at all levels and to promote and facilitate actions to improve air quality.

According to WHO, almost everyone (99% of the global population) breathes polluted air. The transboundary nature of air pollution calls for local, national, regional, and global partnerships to tackle the problem. This year’s theme highlights that it is time to invest, work together, and contribute to clean air. Collaboration with UN member states, development organisations, international and regional organisations, the private sector, and civil society is crucial to reducing pollution and improving air quality. Everyone has a part to play in cleaning our air and protecting our health, and everyone can benefit from it: a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, including clean air, is integral to the full enjoyment of a wide range of human rights.

Agenda

Moderator: Sagar Adhikari, Air Pollution Analyst – Mitigation, ICIMOD