Cities in Asia are moving rapidly to develop the technical infrastructure needed to optimize the efficiency of city operations and services and connect to citizens.Yet policymakers have not made much progress in understanding how to use information technology to manage environmental quality effectively.

To help fill this gap, the East-West Center has initiated a project to promote air quality management in the future "smart" cities of Vietnam. The goal is to create a multi-disciplinary action-research network.

In collaboration with the Da Nang Institute of Socio-economic Development, the Center brought together more than a dozen representatives of universities, non-governmental organizations, consulting groups, and municipal bodies from three Vietnamese cities—Ha Noi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. Meeting on 14-15 September 2018, participants shared results of pilot surveys using low-cost air pollution sensors provided by the Center. Discussions focused on assessing the current status of research and programs on air-pollution monitoring, risk assessment, governance, and community awareness raising and empowerment The workshop went on to produce a priority list of ideas for future work.

In July 2018, the project leader, East-West Center Senior Fellow Sumeet Saksena, joined Think Tech Asia television host Jay Fidell to discuss plans for using smart sensors to measure urban air pollution in India and Vietnam.

 

Cities in Asia are moving rapidly to develop the technical infrastructure needed to optimize the efficiency of city operations and services and connect to citizens.Yet policymakers have not made much progress in understanding how to use information technology to manage environmental quality effectively.

To help fill this gap, the East-West Center has initiated a project to promote air quality management in the future "smart" cities of Vietnam. The goal is to create a multi-disciplinary action-research network.

In collaboration with the Da Nang Institute of Socio-economic Development, the Center brought together more than a dozen representatives of universities, non-governmental organizations, consulting groups, and municipal bodies from three Vietnamese cities—Ha Noi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. Meeting on 14-15 September 2018, participants shared results of pilot surveys using low-cost air pollution sensors provided by the Center. Discussions focused on assessing the current status of research and programs on air-pollution monitoring, risk assessment, governance, and community awareness raising and empowerment The workshop went on to produce a priority list of ideas for future work.

In July 2018, the project leader, East-West Center Senior Fellow Sumeet Saksena, joined Think Tech Asia television host Jay Fidell to discuss plans for using smart sensors to measure urban air pollution in India and Vietnam.