Research Institute for
Sustainability | at GFZ

Regional Air Quality and Climate in Southern Asia

Maheswar Rupakheti

Dr. Maheswar Rupakheti

Research Group Leader
Prof. Dr. Mark Lawrence

Prof. Dr. Mark Lawrence

Scientific Director
In the Kathmandu Valley, brick factories are a major source of air pollution.
© istock/Chunumunu

Regional Air Quality and Climate in Southern Asia investigates the sources and impacts of air pollution as well as strategies for its mitigation, with a primary focus on the Himalayan region in Southern Asia. New challenges arising from rapid population growth, urbanisation, economic development, climate change, and air pollution within and beyond the region pose serious threats to the environment and socio-economic development. Air pollution due to growing emissions within and upwind of the Greater Himalayan region has become a major environmental and societal problem. The latest scientific evidence suggests that reducing both greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions is critical to curbing climate change, safeguarding human health, and guaranteeing water and food security in the region. The research group seeks to gain a holistic understanding of the scientific and societal knowns and unknowns about air pollution and to (co-)design solutions that are informed by sound science and local specifics, ensuring that strategies are appropriate to particular contexts. The group's research activities include atmospheric observations, the development of a comprehensive emissions inventory and future emission scenarios, atmospheric simulations using regional chemistry-transport models, as well as surveys and dialogues. The group combines science with local values and knowledge in order to co-create transformative pathways to reduce air pollution and support the implementation of air quality strategies on the ground. It cooperates with key stakeholders in academia, political institutions, government agencies, civil society organisations, and the business community, as well as regional and international partners, to understand challenges and generate potential solutions.

The group acts through two main projects: Sustainable Atmosphere for the Kathmandu Valley (SusKat) and the Network for Investigating Clean Air Solutions - Himalaya (NICAS - Himalaya).

Projects

Nepal suffers from severe air pollution. Only the summits around the Annapurna – the tenth highest mountain worldwide – are atop the smog layer. This research project is looking into the effects of air pollutants on the regional climate.

A Sustainable Atmosphere for the Kathmandu Valley (SusKat)

Expired Projects in Group

IASS Scientific Director Mark Lawrence and colleagues set up scientific instruments to monitor atmospheric parameters in Lumbini in southern Nepal.

An Assessment of the Impact of Black Carbon on Air Quality and Climate in the Kathmandu Valley and Surrounding Area - A Model Study (BERLiKUM)

Team

Maheswar Rupakheti

Dr. Maheswar Rupakheti

Research Group Leader
Giriraj Dahal

Giriraj Dahal

Student Assistant
Cordula Granderath

M. A. Cordula Granderath

Administrator
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News

istock

Scientists Call for Greater Policy Relevance of IPCC Reports

In a new study published in the journal Resources, Environment and Sustainability an international team of scientists, including RIFS Research Group Leader Maheswar Rupakheti, calls for efforts to improve the policy relevance of future IPCC reports and tackle climate change and sustainability challenges jointly by engaging with the full spectrum of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The IPCC will convene in Hangzhou, China on 24–28 February to approve the outlines of contributions by three working groups.
Nepal Patan Alte Stadt im Kathmandu

Benefits of the Net-Zero Emissions Strategy for Nepal

Achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement will require the combined efforts of states and companies around the world. How can developing countries achieve carbon neutrality and boost their resilience while pursuing economic growth and improved living standards? A study by the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) draws on the example of Nepal to analyse the benefits of a net-zero emissions strategy.
Microplastics in the atmosphere and ocean

Airborne Micro- and Nanoplastics Pollute Oceans

A new study by an international team of researchers finds that the atmosphere is a significant source of plastic pollution in water bodies.
A brick kiln in the Kathmandu Valley. Industrial emissions are on the rise.

IASS Presents First Emissions Inventory for Nepal

Data on emission amounts and sources have an important role to play in shaping policy on climate protection and air quality. Now, a team of researchers under the guidance of IASS Scientific Director Mark Lawrence has presented the first high-resolution inventory to record emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants in Nepal over an extended period of time. The researchers plan to use the data to develop further air quality strategies in Nepal.