33904 THE WORLD BANK South Asia Urban Air Quality Management Briefing Note No. 15 Urban Air Pollution in India: Perceptions of Stakeholders How do people who work in air-pollution-related areas view urban air quality trends and management? To answer this question, a questionnaire was sent out in early 2004 to stakeholders in India. Nearly half of the 81 who responded said that air quality in their cities was deteriorating. Transport was considered the most important cause of air pollution. Delhi residents were more optimistic about air quality management than those in other cities. Asked about barriers to effective air quality management, respondents cited a lack of political will as the greatest obstacle, followed by a lack of information and knowledge at the decision-making level. Consistent with these answers, sharing knowledge and lessons from international experience and assisting sectors that influence air quality were seen to be the most important support international agencies could provide. H ow do people working in air-pollution related Air Quality Trends areas in India view air pollution in their cities? To More than 90 percent of the respondents thought air gain a better understanding of opinions and pollution in their cities was serious or moderately serious perceptions, a questionnaire was circulated using the (see Table 1). Nearly 50 percent of all respondents, and listserv for the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities and 59 percent of those who said air pollution was serious, by post in early 2004. Respondents lived in Bangalore, thought air quality was deteriorating. Eighty-eight percent Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and a few of respondents replied that the adverse impact on health other cities in India. The questionnaire asked about recent was the single most important consequence of urban air trends in air quality in their cities, contributing sources, pollution. activities and policy interventions that had improved or worsened air quality in recent years, and the key actors Table 1 Perceived State of Air Pollution in air quality management. One purpose of the survey 1 1 Air pollution is: % Air quality is % was to compare the perceptions of stakeholders to the findings of the recent analyses of air quality trends and Serious 36 Improving 36 sources of particulate air pollution in Indian cities [1­3]. Moderately serious 55 Deteriorating 47 The questionnaire is available in [3, 4]. Not serious or other 9 No change or other 17 Atotalof81individualsresponded,comprising25working 1 Percentage of total respondents for governments, 19 for the private sector, 12 in academia, 10 for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 5 for However, there was a large difference between Delhi international development agencies, and 10 in other areas. and other cities: 63 percent of Delhi respondents said air Thirty-five respondents were from Delhi. Sixty-two quality was improving, whereas 67 percent of the percent of the respondents worked directly in air-pollution respondents in other cities said it was deteriorating. Of related areas. More than 50 percent were involved in those who said that air quality was improving, half reported research or analysis or both, and 40 percent in the that it was deteriorating earlier but began improving in dissemination of information. Technical articles were cited recentyears.Governmentofficialstendedtociteimproving as the most frequently used sources of information on air air quality the most (although less than one-fourth resided pollution (69 percent of all respondents), followed by the in Delhi) whereas academics were more inclined than media (48 percent). others to say that air quality was deteriorating. It is important to stress that the survey was not designed Particulate matter was viewed as the pollutant of most to yield statistically significant results. It was rather a concern, followed by carbon monoxide (CO), and oxides modest attempt to get a broad-brush picture of the of sulfur and nitrogen. Ozone ranked low. Quite a few perceptions and understandings of informed observers of respondents expressed concerns about hydrocarbons in urban air pollution in India. the air, especially benzene. 1 Determinants of Air Quality shows, the differences between Delhi and other cities are not as large for measures with negative impacts Transport was universally considered by far the most as those with positive impacts. The reference to the important cause of air pollution. This view was held across negative impact of newer vehicles on the road all professions, and by 78 percent of all respondents. presumably refers to the impact on air quality of Transport was followed by industry (including power growing vehicle population through new vehicle generation and small industry activities), and finally additions. household fuel use, construction, refuse burning, and other urban activities. Table 3 Measures with Negative Impact on Respondents were asked about specific measures that Air Quality, Percentage of Respondents might have affected air quality. There were some differences between Delhi and other cities. Delhi Measure Total Delhi Other cities respondents were twice as likely to say that old vehicle Construction practices 53 57 50 phase-out, industry relocation, and industry closure have had a positive impact on air quality than the others. This Public transport 36 29 41 is not surprising, given that old vehicle phase-out and Newer vehicles 26 29 24 industry relocation/closure have been pursued much more extensively in Delhi than elsewhere. Lastly, several measures were perceived to have had little, if any, impact on air quality (see Table 4). Zoning was The measure that the highest percentage of respondents considered by the largest percentage of respondents to cited as having had a positive impact on air quality was have had little impact, followed by bans on open burning transport fuel quality improvement. This was followed by of refuse and other items. Some of the measures cited the construction of new roads and flyovers (excluding were considered by nearly as many respondents to have the period of construction), industry closure, and cleaner had positive effects on air quality as no effects: use of domestic fuels. The positive measures are ranked in Table cleaner fuels in industry (46 percent replied that it had a 2 in order of decreasing percentage of total respondents positive impact), a shift from industry to service that indicated that a given measure had a positive impact (43 percent), and compliance with industrial regulations on air quality. The responses are shown for all respondents, (41 percent). as well as those from Delhi and from other cities. The largest difference between the cities is seen for the phase- out of old vehicles. Table 4 Measures with Negligible Impact on Air Quality, Percentage of Respondents Table 2 Measures with Positive Impact on Measure Total Delhi Other cities Air Quality, Percentage of Respondents Zoning to segregate 64 66 63 Measure Total Delhi Other cities different land uses Cleaner transport fuels 73 89 61 Ban on open burning 56 51 59 of refuse and other items New roads/flyovers 67 66 67 Shift from industry to 52 63 43 Industry closure 64 86 48 service sector Cleaner domestic fuels 60 51 67 Compliance of industry 51 57 43 Old vehicle phase-out 59 89 37 with regulations New vehicles 59 57 61 Switch to cleaner fuels 48 49 48 in industry There were large differences among different professions. Government employees and NGOs were Institutional Involvement much more positive about cleaner transport and domestic fuels than others. Government employees Respondents were asked to rank institutions in terms were also much more positive about the use of cleaner of the efforts made to address air quality concerns in fuels in industry and compliance with industrial their cities. The results are summarized in Figure 1. regulations. At the opposite end of the spectrum were The judiciary, followed closely by government, was considered to be most actively involved. academics who tended to be more skeptical about In fact, 60 percent of respondents said that the cleaner fuels. judiciary was the most or second most active institution Construction was cited by the highest percentage of in air quality management. This was closely respondents as having had a negative impact on air followed by government at 53 percent and NGOs at quality, followed by public transport. As Table 3 45 percent. 2 Figure 1 Ranking of Institutions According Role of International Agencies to Level of Efforts Devoted to The last section of the questionnaire asked whether Air Quality Improvement international agencies such as the World Bank had a role to play in air quality management, and if so, where they 40 could most effectively assist such efforts. There35were again differences between Delhi and other cities. The judiciary was ranked considerably higher than Ninety-eight percent of respondents said international 30 all other entities in Delhi, followed by NGOs,Judiciary by and then agencies should be active in addressing air quality government. In contrast, respondents in other cities named 25 Government concerns. Most respondents suggested engagement at government considerably higher than all other entities, 20 NGOs the city rather than the national or state level. respondents followed by NGOs and the judiciary with little difference 15 Academia of Respondents were asked to rank different roles that between the latter two. This is consistent with recent Private % 10 sector international agencies could play. The options given were: events5in Delhi whereby the Supreme Court has been International knowledge sharing based on international experience; active in mandating relocation of polluting industries and 0 agencies provision of equipment for air quality monitoring; cleaner alternative2nd in3rd 1st fuels public transport. 4th formulation of policies, standards, and regulations; technical studies; stand-alone environmental projects; Barriers to Effective Air Quality assistance through sectors that affect air quality (such as Management transport, energy, and urban development); training and The respondents were asked to rank barriers to air quality capacity building; awareness-raising; and others. management in their cities. The greatest problem was The top four rankings are presented in Figure 3. Assisting seen to be a lack of political will. Aggregating the top sectors that impact air quality, knowledge sharing based three rankings, a lack of political will was cited by 59 oninternationalexperience,andstand-aloneenvironmental percent of all respondents, a poor decision-making projects ranked the highest. Among different professions, structure by 52 percent, and a lack of information and government employees saw knowledge sharing as the knowledge at the decision-making level by 51 percent. most important role international agencies could play. Aside from the entries shown in Figure 2, "poor/outdated Academics cited knowledge sharing and stand-alone technologies" and "lax standards" were two other options environmentalprojectsasthetwomostimportantactivities, given for ranking. They ranked the lowest, especially poor/ while NGOs and the private sector gave stand-alone outdated technologies. environmental projects and assistance to sectors that impact on air quality as the most important. Figure 2 Ranking of Impediments to Effective Air Quality Management Figure 3 Ranking of Activities by International Agencies for Air Quality 35 Improvement 30 25 25 Lack of information Knowledge sharing 20 Lack of 20 political will Sector respondents 15 assistance of Decision- 15 Projects % 10 making structure respondents Technical 5 10 Poor law of studies 0 Corruption % Equipment 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5 Capacity building Interestingly, government employees cited a lack of 0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th political will as the most serious barrier to effective air quality management. NGOs and the private sector cited Comparison with Recent Study Findings a lack of information and knowledge at the decision- making level as the most serious obstacle. Comparing It is interesting to compare these responses with recent Delhi with other cities, Delhi residents viewed a lack analyses of urban air quality in India. An examination of of political will as being a much more serious airborne fine particulate matter (PM ) in Delhi, Kolkata, 2.5 impediment than those in other cities. A lack of and Mumbai [1, 2] showed that sources differ by city and information and lenient standards were also viewed season. In particular, coal and biomass combustion more seriously in Delhi. Residents in other cities, on appears to account for a larger fraction of total PM 2.5 the other hand, saw outdated technology and corruption than vehicular emissions in winter in Kolkata and Delhi as posing greater challenges. when particulate air pollution is at its worst. Therefore, 3 while transport is an important contributor to particulate The predominant perception was that air pollution was air pollution, other sources may be contributing even more serious or moderately serious. Nearly half also believed depending on the time of year and geographical location. that air quality was continuing to deteriorate. Against this background, addressing a lack of information, a lack A review of ambient PM (particles smaller than 10 10 political will, and a poor decision-making structure was microns) concentrations in Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, considered the most urgent. The respondents suggested Kolkata, and Mumbai between 1993 and 2002 [3] showed that a number of measures had helped, most notably that air quality improved in most cities during the ten- cleaner transport fuels, new roads and flyovers, and year period. Industry closure and relocation may have industry closures. Public transport was considered had a particularly strong impact in Delhi in the latter half problematic by quite a few, presumably on account of of the 1990s. Concentrating on the five-year period large numbers of gross polluters among public transport between 1998 and 2002, however, there is no vehicles. improvement or even deterioration in Delhi. During this period, there was a steady decline in PM levels in Comparison with recent study findings suggests that some 10 Mumbai, a general decline in Hyderabad, a decline in of the perceptions may not be supported by data. This 2001 and 2002 in Chennai, but a decline only in an underscores the importance of systematic data collection industrial area in Kolkata. Limited air quality data and analysis, and equally important, information collection restricts conclusions that can be drawn, but it dissemination. is possible that the perception of worsening air quality is not entirely consistent with the actual air pollution trends. References 1. ESMAP. 2004. Toward Cleaner Urban Air in South Asia: These studies [1­3] also indicate that ambient particulate Tackling Transport Pollution, Understanding Sources. levels differ considerably from city to city, being ESMAP Report 281/04, March. Washington D.C. Available significantly higher in Delhi and Kolkata than in other online at . cities. However, the questionnaire responses showed no marked difference in the perception of whether air 2. South Asia Urban Air Quality Management Briefing Note pollution is serious: 38 percent of residents in Delhi and No. 14. 2004. "What Is Causing Particulate Air Pollution? Kolkata said air pollution was serious, against 34 percent Evidence from Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai," August. Available online at . Conclusions 3. World Bank. Forthcoming. "For a Breath of Fresh Air: Ten The survey results reported here can be said to represent Years of Progress and Challenges in Urban Air Quality "informed" perceptions: nearly all respondents have been Management in India." actively engaged in air pollution issues and some have in 4. World Bank. 2004. "World Bank Study on Urban Air Quality fact been working exclusively in air quality management in India: Questionnaire for Stakeholder Input." Available for great many years. online at . This briefing note was prepared in August 2004 as part of the South Asia program on urban air quality management, funded in part by the joint UNDP/World Bank Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP). The objective of the program is to support the region-wide process of developing and adopting cost-effective and viable policies and efficient enforcement mechanisms to reverse the deteriorating trend in urban air. A full set of briefs and other materials are available at . For further information, contact Sameer Akbar (sakbar@worldbank.org) or Masami Kojima (mkojima@worldbank.org) about this note. Designed & Printed by: Macro Graphics Pvt. Ltd. 4