Regional Smoke Haze in Southeast Asia: Causes, Impacts and Possible Solutions

Transcription

1 Regional Smoke Haze in Southeast Asia: Causes, Impacts and Possible Solutions Rajasekhar Bala Division of Environmental Science and Engineering National University of Singapore National Environment Conference Brunei (August 19, 2009)

2 Sources Regional city lights: Proxy for urban population Shipping emissions Wang et al., ES&T, 2008

3 Sources: Rural/non industrial emissions- Anthropogenic NMVOCs Zhang et al., ACP, 2009 Biofuels

4 Sources: Shipping 3,000 ships per day Shipping emissions Wang et al., ES&T, 2008

5 Introduction Long-range transboundary air pollution of concern in Southeast Asia: Regional Smoke Haze. The smoke haze could have large impacts on health, climate, and the water budget of the region.

6 Regional Air Pollution Caused By Airborne Particulate Matter

7 Cause: slash & burn in Indonesia Dense hotspots were detected in Kalimantan and Sumatra in October The worst one since 1997 SEA haze episode.

8 El Niño

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10 Health Impacts- Public Health Visibility Reduction Impacts Loss of Biodiversity Lower Productivity

11 Downturn in Tourism Economic Costs Impacts Weather and Climate Impacts on Atmospheric Chemistry

12 Impacts Rainwater Acidity and Chemistry Global Biogeochemical Cycles International Relations Lifestyle

13 Forest Fires (Biomass Burning)

14 Stratosphere Troposphere Forests Effects on soil Depression of Stratospheric Ozone Increase in greenhouse gases O Agricultural wastes CH 3 Br Reflection of solar radiation C O 2 NOx, 3 CO, NMHC BIOMASS C AEROSOLS BURNING Influence Hon 4 Decrease in rrestrial ecosystem Influence on solar radiation N 2 human healthdamage to O crops Drought Negative feedback to greenhouse effect Transboundary Pollution Loss of biodiversity Influence of Large-Scale Biomass Burning on the Global Environment

15 Map of Southeast Asia

16 Particulate Air Pollution July 2, 2001 PM 2.5 =14 µg m -3 July 18, 2001 PM 2.5 =45 µg m - 3

17 Number (dn/dlogd p ), cm -3 x Aerosol Size Distribution Ut a Nucleation Mode e a t ces Aitken Mode Volume (dv/dlogd p ), µm 3 /cm Condensation Submode Accumulation Mode Droplet Submode Coarse Mode Diameter (micrometers)

18 PM 2.5 Concentrations PM 2.5 (µg/m3) Jun 18-Aug 7-Oct 26-Nov 15-Jan 6-Mar 25-Apr 14-Jun

19 Poor visibility caused by smoke haze

20 Satellite Images of Hot Spots in Southeast Asia (1)

21 Satellite Images of Hot Spots in Southeast Asia (2)

22 Number of Hot Spots

23 Is CO2, the most important greenhouse gas, associated with the observed rise in global temperature

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26 Influence of Aerosols on Climate Change

27 IPCC is a panel of over 1000 scientists from around the world Commissioned by UN agencies, confirmed the importance of trace gases

28 Possible Solutions Regulation of Land Clearing Prescribed Forest Fires Use of Financial Incentives Education Campaigns Technological Solutions

29 Background Oil is nonrenewable, yet world is highly dependent on it Unstable Middle East situation causes oil prices to skyrocket Accelerated rate of growth of energy consumption, eg. India and China Climate change a growing environmental problem. Solution: Alternative energy sources. Convert high carbon content materials into energy yielding biofuels Viable starting materials: Wood, agricultural products (palm oil, corn, rapeseed etc), agricultural wastes, waste tires, food wastes, other kinds of wastes

30 Synthesis Pyrolysis of waste materials Thermal decomposition of cellulose materials

31 Evaluation Engine and dynamometer system. Series 3770 Condensation Particle Counters (CPCs) Physical, chemical and biological characteristics of air emissions

32 Seven South East Asian Studies (7 SEAS) Goal: Isolate the impacts of aerosol particles on weather and the environment In order to do this, we need input from seven research areas: Tropical and subtropical meteorology including air-sea and land interaction Clouds and precipitation Radiative transfer Biomass burning and pollution Natural aerosol chemistry Satellite and model calibration/validation Seasonal forecasting and climate Thailand Malaysia Taiwan Vietnam Philippin Singapore Indonesia

33 Research in South East Asia Southeast Asia covers the tropical to subtropical regime. Aerosol particle loadings vary from the most clean conditions on the planet, to high concentrations in individual smoke plumes. Cloud, aerosol and surface conditions make the region difficult to apply satellite data and models for atmospheric pollution and hydrology problems. The region hosts the best environment in the world to study aerosol-meteorology-hydrology interaction in tropical to subtropical environments. If a consistent measurement and analysis program is devised, a highly interdisciplinary environmental research project can be performed.

34 Thank You