Clean Air Catalyst Fact Sheet – Indore, India

With a population of 3.4 million, Indore is the most populous city in the Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and a commercial and industrial hub. Although it has been recognized in the Swachh Survekshan as the cleanest city in India for six years in a row for its solid waste and water management, the city is not meeting national ambient air quality standards.

Preliminary analysis done by Clean Air Catalyst in Indore and the surrounding areas has identified five sectors as the main contributors to air pollution: household cooking fuel, construction, solid waste burning, transport, and eateries. Reducing air pollution in these sectors will protect health, help address the climate emergency and strengthen the local economy.

About the Clean Air Catalyst

Clean Air Catalyst (Catalyst) is a global partnership supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development and led by World Resources Institute and Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. Launched in 2020, it is focused on building capacity for locally tailored solutions that curb air pollution, tackle climate change, and improve human health. Other Catalyst partner organizations are Columbia Climate School Clean Air Toolbox for Cities, Climate and Clean Air Coalition, Internews, MAP-AQ, Open AQ and Vital Strategies. The Catalyst has projects on the ground in Indore, India; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Nairobi, Kenya.

Project Activity Highlights in Indore

Science and solutions

• Prepare an emissions inventory with primary and secondary data sources, a source apportionment study and a GIS land- use map to better understand Indore’s air pollution
• Install three continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations to measure PM2.5, carbon monoxide and black carbon, three important contributors to manmade global warming and implement a monitoring plan across a wider part of the city
• Host a two-day data design workshop, engaging external data experts to review the Catalyst air quality data with the goal of finalizing the design of our data collection strategy
• Develop a list of solutions to address priority pollution sources from transport, waste and industry, and identify interventions that can be implemented with program partners and other stakeholders, prioritizing impacts on health, climate, gender and equity
• Undertake research on potential solutions in the transport and industry sectors

Engagement

• Organized six stakeholder workshops to share knowledge and understanding of air pollution with 163 representatives from diverse sectors like small and medium sized industries, civil society, transport, construction, and hotels
• Hosted a multi-day workshop with 24 members of the media to strengthen the knowledge and reporting skills of local journalists on air pollution in the city resulting in more than 30 media stories
• Organized a health sector including workshop engaging 37 clinicians, researchers, health professionals, ASHA workers and public health organizations
• Organized media training workshops for journalists, with field visit to communities most impacted by air pollution
• Conducted research, interviews and focus groups to understand where Indore residents get their air pollution information, and what they understand are the sources of pollution