Theme Institutional Strengthening • Laws & Policies • Air Quality Management

Air Quality affects the health and welfare of all living things.  Chemicals, particulate matter and biological materials entering the atmosphere cause air pollution which can harm living organisms and the natural environment.  While natural phenomena, such as volcanic eruptions, wind erosion, dust storms and forest fires may generate pollutants, human activities are the major causes, particularly those activities involving the burning of fossil fuels and the release of chemical substances from vehicles, power plants and other industrial sources. 

The polluting effects of human activity on air quality are especially acute in urban areas.  As human beings affect the environment, they are in turn themselves affected:  Air pollution can aggravate asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung and heart diseases and respiratory allergies.

Air pollution knows no boundaries, travelling across borders the world over. By its very nature, growth in trade and industry results in increased air pollution from emissions produced in processing, transporting and using products.  To help protect and improve CAFTA-DR’s air quality as trade and investment grow, our Program provides technical assistance to develop a comprehensive urban Air Quality Management program.

Activities to establish the foundation for such a program include...

• Air Quality Monitoring.  Providing the means to measure particulate matter (PM) in urban areas. PM are tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in the air.  The notation PM10 describes a particle of 10 micrometers or less.  Particles of this size can reach the respiratory tract and can adversely affect breathing and respiratory systems and cause damage to lung tissue, cancer and, ultimately, premature death.

• Public Access to Air Quality Information.  Access to quality information by the range of public and private sector parties. Accessible information will contribute to the understanding of air pollution characteristics and sources which is a precondition to developing effective programs improve air quality.   PM10 monitoring data are transmitted to SERVIR Aire, the air quality initiative of SERVIR. 
  
  SERVIR is the high-tech satellite visualization system supported in part by the CAFTA-DR Environmental Cooperation Program.  SERVIR Aire delivers satellite-based and modeled air quality data to forecasters, researchers, broadcasters and communities throughout the CAFTA-DR region.