inDrive Hosts Kathmandu Clean Air Dialogue to Combat Rising Urban Pollution

Kathmandu. To address the escalating air pollution problem in the Kathmandu Valley, inDrive has organized the Kathmandu Clean Air Dialogue. This program brought together government representatives, environmental experts, researchers, and private sector delegates on a single platform to engage in in-depth discussions on sustainable and implementable measures for pollution reduction.

The dialogue was organized with the objective of accepting air pollution as a shared responsibility and developing fact-based decision-making processes and concrete action plans. Participants extensively deliberated on the current air quality, major pollution sources, the effectiveness of existing policies, and the challenges observed during implementation.

This dialogue primarily focused on four pillars: high-level stakeholder coordination, mapping the current situation, identifying bottlenecks, and active participation from the private sector. The Chief Guest of the program, Minister for Forest and Environment Madhav Chaulagai, provided information on the government's efforts in pollution control and stated the need for more intense and coordinated action in the coming days. He also praised inDrive and AAI for bringing various stakeholders together in one place. 

It was concluded that developing a reliable data and transparent monitoring system is essential, especially since Kathmandu's air quality significantly deteriorates during the winter season due to geographical conditions. This dialogue also signaled the launch of the 'Nepal Fresh Initiative,' which is inspired by the Kazakh word for 'clean.' 

This initiative aims to develop a data-driven system, translate scientific evidence into public understanding, and transform science and public support into sustainable policy. Zuldiz Saulebekova, CEO of Almaty Air Initiative, shared her experience that collaboration with local systems and the government is crucial for improving air quality and expressed her happiness to support Kathmandu on this journey. 

It is hoped that this program will strengthen the collaboration between policy, science, and the private sector for clean air and healthy citizens.