UN Division for Sustainable Development

Case Study Detail Record

Organization type:	Major Groups

Submitting organization:

Affiliation:	- Scientific and technology community

Initiative Title:	Developing Advanced Atmospheric Modeling Tools

Internet links:

Scope:	Global

Status:	Ongoing

Timeframe:	Start: End:

Stakeholders/Partners:	United States Environmental Protection Agency, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis,international climate research departments and organisations,

Relevent issues:	- Measures addressing transboundary air pollution - Monitoring of atmospheric conditions - Policies and programmes to address air pollution from other major point sources - Adaptation - Mitigation policies/measures - Technology innovations and transfer

Objectives/Challenges:

• Develop better atmospheric modeling tools
• Reduce air pollution
• Examine and assess different emission control strategies
• Limit greenhouse gas emissions

Policy Options:

Fund research for developing effective tools to assess and compare different emissions and air pollution reduction strategies in order to develop the most cost-effective and environmentally beneficial strategies

Summary:

There continues to be a great deal of progress in developing advanced atmospheric modeling tools, ranging from the local to the global scale. Notable examples include the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Community Multi-scale Air Quality modeling system, and the Regional Air Pollution and Simulation (RAINS), and Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) models from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, which allow the user to examine the costs and effectiveness of different emissions control strategies, and to design emission control strategies that simultaneously meet air quality targets and limit the emissions of greenhouse gases. A wide array of ecological and biological/epidemiological models is likewise continuing to be developed for studies of air pollution impacts.