Prospects for International Management of Intercontinental Air Pollution Transport

Abstract

The recognition of the intercontinental transport of air pollution continues a historic trend towards greater awareness and management of air pollution over larger spatial scales. Intercontinental transport contributes to a “tightening vise” on air quality management in industrialized nations with background concentrations rising, standards becoming more stringent, local controls becoming more difficult to achieve, and emissions in other parts of the world rapidly increasing. While several regional and global regimes currently exist for addressing issues of transboundary air quality, important gaps remain for intercontinental transport. International cooperative regimes at all levels – binational, regional, hemispheric, and global – should be encouraged to address intercontinental transport. Activities which increase the capacity in developing nations for managing domestic air pollution problems are the most important actions to be taken in the short term. In addition, international research efforts are needed to quantify source-receptor relationships between nations and to develop integrated analysis tools that connect international transport, climate change, global energy infrastructure, and economic development.