Understanding Air Quality's Foundation
Santosh Harish, a key figure at Coefficient Giving, emphasizes the critical need for robust scientific understanding and effective measurement systems
in addressing India's air pollution challenge. His work focuses on improving air quality monitoring and strengthening cost-effective systems, recognizing that accurate data is the bedrock of any successful intervention. Coefficient Giving, formerly Open Philanthropy, has directed substantial grants towards critical areas, with air quality emerging as a significant focus. Harish highlights that their South Asian air quality program, launched in January 2022, acknowledges the immense health burden in India, citing estimates of around two million premature deaths annually due to air pollution. Beyond mortality, the profound impacts on cognitive development and productivity, disproportionately affecting children, underscore the urgency. The organization identified a gap in philanthropic and aid funding relative to the problem's scale, concluding that strategic philanthropic investment can indeed make a tangible difference. Their grantmaking spans a wide array of interventions, from supporting governmental program execution for stubble burning to facilitating farmer collectives' access to crop residue management equipment, demonstrating a multi-faceted approach to tackling pollution at its origins.
Innovative Monitoring and Modeling
Harish details Coefficient Giving's impactful grants in India, including a significant project with IIT Kanpur deploying approximately 1,400 low-cost sensors across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. This initiative, which vastly increased existing monitoring capacity, aimed to demonstrate scalable sensor deployment and address government skepticism. The project sought to leverage these sensors for remote monitoring of rural air pollution, utilizing advancements in low-cost sensors and satellite data to understand pollution levels. A crucial aspect was making rural air pollution visible, countering the misconception that pollution is solely an urban issue. The models indicate that pollution levels across the Indo-Gangetic Plain are often similar between cities, towns, and villages, forming a contiguous airshed. Encouragingly, the Bihar sensors have operated for nearly two years, and Uttar Pradesh for over a year, prompting Mumbai and other cities to seek similar sensor network setups. Another key grant to the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) focused on reduced complexity models. These models, a decade in development, are computationally efficient and easier to deploy than traditional atmospheric chemistry models, helping to analyze pollutant formation and dispersion. IIT Bombay and CSTEP have developed distinct models for India, with the advantage of using them in an ensemble approach to derive stronger policy recommendations and ensure resources target the most impactful sources. The West Bengal Pollution Control Board has already engaged CSTEP for action plan development, showcasing the practical application of these advanced modeling tools.
Targeting Vehicular and Industrial Sources
The collaboration with the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) on remote sensing of vehicular emissions presents another vital strategy. Current Indian Vehicle Pollution Under Control (PUC) systems, which rely on tailpipe probes, often fail to capture real-world driving emissions and use imperfect proxies. ICCT's remote sensing technology, installed at toll gates, measures emissions as vehicles pass, identifying categories of vehicles that are disproportionately polluting. Early findings revealed some vehicles emitting up to ten times the presumed limits under actual driving conditions, prompting the Supreme Court to direct an official pilot program to explore policy implications. Globally, Coefficient Giving has supported initiatives like the EPIC Air Quality Fund, establishing monitoring networks in countries lacking such data, leading to initial policy discussions and action plans. Their collaboration with Stanford University and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, focused on improving brick kiln operations. By promoting the 'zigzag' kiln design and better operational processes, they achieved significant reductions in coal use and carbon monoxide emissions, with strong indications of decreased particulate matter. This approach is highly cost-effective as it modifies existing processes rather than requiring entirely new kiln designs. The goal is to scale this successful model across Bangladesh and potentially replicate it in Indian states.
Technology's Role and Future Outlook
Harish is optimistic about cost-effective monitoring solutions, highlighting the importance of low-cost sensors and satellite-derived estimates. He notes that the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) since 2019 has improved monitoring, enabling a better understanding of pollution scales and sources, a significant improvement from the past where major cities had very few monitors. Conversely, Harish expresses skepticism regarding large-scale outdoor air purification systems and smoke towers, deeming them poor solutions from a cost-effectiveness standpoint. He stresses that pollution reduction must occur at the source, as these systems offer only localized, minimal benefits at a high cost. However, indoor air purifiers are recognized as proven technologies for specific environments like hospitals and schools. Reflecting on international experiences, Harish points to Western cities' historical struggles with severe pollution and their eventual progress achieved with less advanced tools than available today. China's remarkable reduction in pollution levels over the past decade, primarily through source reduction and stronger policy enforcement rather than air capture devices, offers a powerful precedent. He observes that while India possesses scientific talent, bridging the gap between policymakers and scientific solutions, alongside creating incentives for scientific engagement, is crucial for innovation in the air quality sector. The development of national emission inventories and source apportionment studies, updated regularly, is also vital for tracking progress and informing policy.
Policy Recommendations for PM2.5 Focus
From a policy perspective, Harish advocates for strengthening the science-policy bridge, a mandate primarily held by the Central Pollution Control Board, though its effectiveness varies across the country. He suggests a refocused National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) with a primary emphasis on PM2.5. The previous NCAP period saw a shift towards PM10 due to easier monitoring availability, leading to an overemphasis on dust management. While PM10 is significant, PM2.5, the finer and more harmful particles, are the main drivers of the health burden. Therefore, Harish argues for a pivot back to centering policy design on PM2.5. He also proposes moving beyond city-level planning to state-level or, more accurately, operationalizing the concept of airsheds. Treating air pollution solely as an urban issue is insufficient; effective urban air quality improvement necessitates a broader, airshed-based approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of pollution across regions. This shift in focus is essential for effectively combating the multifaceted air pollution crisis in India and ensuring public health.
