**Program Overview**
WRI's air quality program is a global initiative that seeks to identify, build awareness of, and eliminate the root causes of air pollution that damages climate, human, and ecosystem health. The program has three main areas of work: (i) engagement with city stakeholders to use participatory science to diagnose and develop targeted, cost-effective clean air solutions to protect human health and climate, (ii) working with the science community to convert innovative methods into tools and products that communities and policymakers can use to better manage their impact on the atmosphere, and (iii) working with national governments and business networks to design and implement broader regional-to-global air quality governance. It is a part of the WRI Ross Center on Sustainable Cities, with additional oversight from the Data Lab and engagement with Climate, Governance, Energy, and other programs at WRI. The team is global, with senior experts distributed across WRI's network of international offices.
- About the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities_
The decisions that national leaders, local officials, developers, and planners make today will determine how billions of people in urban centers will thrive over the next century. Already, half the global population resides in cities. That figure is set to increase to 70 percent by 2050.
Traditional models of city development can lock us into congestion, sprawl, and inefficient resource use. However, compact, connected, and efficient growth can help ensure more competitive cities, and provide a better quality of life for citizens. WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities (WRI Ross Center) works to ensure cities drive economic opportunity while sustaining natural resources. We use technical expertise, cutting-edge research, and on-the-ground partnerships to design solutions that enable sustainable city growth.
Our analysis and tools allow cities to effectively manage their natural resources and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Working across our network, we develop and support the implementation of research-based solutions in sustainable mobility, urban development, as well as urban efficiency & climate that reduce pollution, improve health, and create safe, accessible public spaces for all people to thrive.
WRI Ross Center builds on WRI's global and local experience in urban planning and mobility and uses proven solutions and action-oriented tools to increase building and energy efficiency, manage water risk, encourage effective governance and make the fast-growing urban environment more resilient to new challenges. Aiming to influence 200 cities with unique research and tools, WRI Ross Center focuses on a deep cross-sector approach in selected megacities on two continents, and targeted assistance to additional 50 urban areas, bringing economic, environmental and social benefits to people in cities around the globe.
**Clean Air Catalyst**
WRI Indonesia air quality program is growing along with the new USAID-funded program called "Clean Air Catalyst ", which will be implemented by a global consortium that WRI is leading with EDF and other partners. The consortium includes six additional partners: Clean Air Toolbox for Cities (Columbia University), Climate and Clean Air Coalition, Internews Network, MAP-AQ, OpenAQ, and Vital Strategies. The program will work in three pilot regions with WRI international offices and local partners to test and refine a three-part data to action methodology for improving air quality and delivering climate co-benefits. We plan to work with local partners in three pilot regions - one of which is Jakarta, Indonesia - to test and refine a three-part data to action methodology for improving air quality and delivering climate co-benefits.
This partnership brings together diverse local stakeholders to address key information gaps, build confidence in air pollution information, and to advance and institutionalize lasting solutions. It is currently being piloted in three cities across the globe: Jakarta (Indonesia), Indore (India), and Nairobi (Kenya).
The Clean Air Catalyst data-to-action approach is unique in combining three key innovations: source awareness, root cause analyses and solutions co-design and cross cutting objectives, health, climate and gender equity to deliver comprehensive integrated air quality management plans.
In Jakarta, CAC is installing three new continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations in West, East and North Jakarta to improve data collection on the main sources and drivers of Jakarta's air pollution. These sites were selected due to their proximity to priority air polluting sectors and to the vulnerable communities that are suffering the worst impacts to their health and livelihoods. The CAC Jakarta team is also supporting the Jakarta Provincial Government Environment Agency to design an air quality data platform and conduct technical training that will allow the