Title: Suspension of US Aid Impacts Southeast Asia’s Efforts to Tackle Air Pollution
Efforts to tackle escalating air pollution in Southeast Asia have hit a roadblock following the abrupt cessation of international aid by the Trump administration, coinciding with the region’s peak season of health-endangering smog.
The scheme, a joint venture involving the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, NASA, and the now-defunct US aid agency, harnessed satellite technology and geospatial information to assist countries in handling transnational environmental threats such as agricultural land burning and forest fires. It was also responsible for tracking and forecasting air pollution.
Cities like Bangkok and Hanoi have been engulfed in toxic pollution for a week, marking the onset of Southeast Asia’s annual surge in air pollution.
In a recent release, UNICEF highlighted that aside from malnutrition, poor air quality continues to be the leading cause of child fatalities in East Asian and Pacific countries.
Aekkapol Aekakkararungroj, an air pollution and geospatial imaging specialist at the disaster center, expressed his concerns to Radio Free Asia about the project’s suspension during the regional haze season. He warned that this could slow down the advancement and distribution of tools essential for timely decision-making and response strategies.
On January 26th, the State Department announced a pause on all U.S. foreign assistance managed by the department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), pending a review to align the projects with Trump’s foreign policy objectives.
This decision has put a halt to various crucial humanitarian programs worldwide, ranging from landmine clearance to HIV prevention. The majority of USAID’s workforce has been temporarily laid off since Friday.
Aekkapol mentioned that the disaster center is actively seeking funding from other international donors and could potentially recommence its air pollution work in a few months if successful.
He remained hopeful that their endeavors to secure alternative funding and partnerships will help them regain momentum by April, with continued collaboration with NASA.
Air pollution, a global health and economic issue, disproportionately affects low-income regions like Southeast Asia.
Despite a significant reduction in air pollution-related deaths in Asia over the past two decades, thanks to improved healthcare and a decrease in indoor use of fuels like coal, the numbers remain disturbingly high, as mentioned by UNICEF officials at a press conference in Bangkok.
Nicholas Rees, an environment and climate expert at UNICEF, emphasized that the progress made in reducing child deaths from air pollution could be undone without political will, efforts to decrease dependency on fossil fuels, and the capacity of health systems.
