International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development

News: The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Management (ICIMOD) has launched an Air Quality Dashboard to gauge pollution levels across Indo-Gangetic Plains.

About the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Management (ICIMOD)

• It is a regional intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting sustainable development in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region.
• It was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.
• It has eight member countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
• Functions of ICIMD are:
  • Conducting interdisciplinary research to understand the complex environmental, social, and economic dynamics in the HKH region.
  • Gathering and analysing data on key environmental parameters such as climate, hydrology, land use, and biodiversity in the HKH region.
  • Engaging with governments and policymakers to offer policy advice on sustainable development, climate change adaptation, water management, and disaster risk reduction.
  • Enhancing disaster preparedness and risk management in the region to tackle natural disasters like floods, landslides and earthquakes.

Key features of the Dashboard

• The dashboard provides real-time data on air quality across the IGP, allowing policymakers, researchers, and the public to access up-to-date information on pollution levels.
• It combines the ground sensor data with satellite imagery, providing a comprehensive view of air pollution across local, sub regional and regional scales.
• It tracks key air pollutants like PM 2.5 which have a direct impact on human health and the environment. 
• The dashboard has a dynamic timelapse powered by the Weather Research and Forecasting coupled with Chemistry (WFR-Chem) to track the spread of PM2.5 plumes across the region.
• This model enables the users to explore the interaction between weather patterns and air pollution sources, providing information about pollution outbreaks and trends.