Kathmandu's International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development is teaming up with NASA and the United States Agency for International Development to utilize space technology for monitoring air quality and creating strategies to address air pollution in the Hindu Kush region. A two-day event will include experts from ICIMOD and NASA's Applied Science Team and SERVIR Science Co-ordination Office, who will educate stake holders on utilizing satellite data, such as GK2-AMI Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) data, for air quality monitoring.
Senior air quality specialist at ICIMOD, Bhupesh Adhikary, stressed the significance of continuous air quality monitoring to enhance the region's air quality, given its current status as one of the most polluted areas globally. The training will introduce multi-satellite blended products to tackle issues like cloud cover, highlighting the importance of blending multi-satellite data for expanded coverage and integrating it into predictive models.
Participants will be trained to integrate satellite data into air quality prediction models, offering forecasts up to 48 hours for South Asia and more detailed forecasts for countries within the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. Birendra Bajracharya, head of SERVIR-HKH, emphasized the impact of poor air quality on daily life and how SERVIR's initiatives can support early interventions and policy measures.
The two-day training program, beginning on May 9 at the ICIMOD headquarters, will bring together approximately 30 participants from universities, government agencies, and development organizations in South Asian countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, with the aim of devising solutions to combat air pollution in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region.
