Jamie Schauer, the United States science envoy for air quality, concluded a week-long visit to Dhaka on Thursday, highlighting his government鈥檚 strong commitment to support Bangladesh鈥檚 efforts in combating air pollution.
His visit, which began on January 12, emphasised the importance of air quality management, effective policies and academic collaboration to address the complex challenges Bangladesh is facing in containing air pollution, urgently needing advanced monitoring systems, cleaner technologies and multi-sectoral partnerships, among other mechanisms.聽聽聽聽
Schauer, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, has served as the US science envoy for air quality since 2018, said a press release issued by the US embassy in Bangladesh on Thursday.聽聽
On January 12, Schauer at the 鈥楢ir quality research and environmental policy discussion鈥� at Dhaka University, discussed Dhaka鈥檚 critical air pollution, identifying key sources, including power plants, vehicles, biomass burning, waste combustion, construction dust and brick kilns.
He stressed the need for advanced monitoring systems and source apportionment studies to guide policy, address seasonal and localised pollution patterns and encourage cross-sectoral collaboration.聽
Schauer presented several recommendations for mitigating air pollution, including adopting cleaner fuels, using air pollution control devices on power generation and mobile sources, improving waste management to minimise waste burning and dust control measures.
On January 14, the delegation visited the embassy鈥檚 air quality monitor which measures airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the compound.
His visit underscores the US government鈥檚 ongoing commitment to support Bangladesh鈥檚 efforts to improve air quality through knowledge-sharing and collaborative policy development.
