Experts from 12 Asian Countries Gather in Seoul to Discuss Integrated Management of Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone

Atmospheric environment experts from around the world will gather to discuss integrated air quality management strategies for addressing both fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone together.

The National Fine Dust Information Center, affiliated with the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, announced on the 6th that it will hold the “2026 International Blue Sky Conference” at Seoul Dragon City in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, from September 7 to 11 to mark the 7th International Day of Clean Air for blue skies.

This event is co-organized by the National Fine Dust Information Center, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Unlike previous one-day academic conferences, this year the scale has been expanded to a five-day program, connecting the international conference with an emission inventory workshop targeting air quality managers from Asian countries.

At the “Blue Sky Symposium” to be held on September 7, around 200 policy officials and experts from countries including China, Japan, and Malaysia, as well as from international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNEP, will attend under the theme “Integrated Air Quality Management for PM2.5 and Ozone.”

Part 1 of the symposium will address integrated and coordinated air quality management strategies considering the correlation between PM2.5 and ozone. Part 2 will share case studies and research methods involving the use of artificial intelligence to analyze fine particulate matter and ozone. Part 3 will explore policy development strategies to translate scientific research outcomes into practical air quality policies.

From September 8 to 11, an emission inventory workshop will be held with participation from 24 air quality officials representing 12 Asian countries. Stakeholders from Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand, and others will receive hands-on training to improve their capacity for estimating and managing emissions of air pollutants.

On September 8, topics to be presented include development and utilization of the East Asia emission inventory, establishment of a legal framework for effective emissions estimation systems, and the history and applications of Korea’s national air pollutant emission estimates. On September 9, training will be provided on how to analyze sources of air pollution and evaluate policy effectiveness by using the Air Emission Management System, the Transportation Emission Estimation System, and the Air Impact Prediction System, all operated by the National Fine Dust Information Center. On September 10, participants will visit domestic air pollutant management sites, including the Korea Environment Corporation’s monitoring center, the National Institute of Environmental Research’s advanced surveillance center, and the Air Quality Forecast Center in Incheon.

The National Fine Dust Information Center was designated in 2024 as the technical center for the Northeast Asia Clean Air Partnership (NEACAP) and this year will co-organize capacity-building activities on emission inventories with UNEP, sharing Korea’s emission estimation, analysis, and prediction systems with countries across Asia.

Oh Heunjin, head of the National Fine Dust Information Center, stated, “We will actively share Korea’s accumulated expertise and technologies for emission estimation and analysis with other Asian countries, broadening the basis for cooperation to improve air quality across the region.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.