Low and Middle Income Countries Urban Air Pollution Solutions

This technical document is intended to aggregate potential policy-relevant solutions to control air pollution and improve health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The goal is to take an evidence-based approach to identify actions that may be applicable and encouraged to improve air quality management in cities and, through their influence, at the national level. Examples of activities that may build towards an air quality management program include air quality monitoring, determining the sources of emissions that contribute to local air pollution (source apportionment), and interventions that transition away from the most polluting fuels. The document characterizes these activities, including entry points and best practices, and describes case studies that illustrate current efforts to address the air quality challenges in LMICs.

The document is focused on approaches to reduce air pollution that achieve positive health impacts,
however, it does not include short term exposure-reduction measures that only reduce air pollution
exposure but do not mitigate air pollution levels, such as the use of respiratory masks or indoor air filters.
Air pollution mitigation measures can result in other health co-benefits that are not directly associated with reduced air pollution such as a reduction in injuries and noise or an increase in physical activity from clean public transport, cycling and walking (not described in detail here).

Initial input for this document was obtained from the participants at the Air Pollution Solutions Workshop
that took place at Columbia University in March 2019. The Workshop convened technical experts to
aggregate a set of incremental, evidence-based solutions to air pollution that are appropriate to LMIC
cities in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.