New | Experts urged to improve collaboration to combat air pollution

Top air scientists and health experts yesterday called for enhanced regional collaboration to tackle the choking air pollution that has long plagued the Pearl River Delta area.

Speaking after an international symposium at the University of Science and Technology, a panel of academics, government officials and health researchers stressed the importance of nurturing greater scientific expertise to aid policy formulation.

“Air quality is about science. We need to understand in great depth the latest science. We need competence in analysing the data and we also need to understand the systems other people have set up to verify the data,” undersecretary for the environment Christine Loh Kung-wai said.

Greater scientific expertise would help in developing evidence-based policies across local, regional and national governments, the panel said.

“Many cities are looking for people to help improve [air quality, but] there aren’t enough experts around,” HKUST Professor Alexis Lau said.

“We are highlighting the importance of capacity building to improve the environment, certainly in the air area, but also in other environmental areas.”