Thailand is among the most polluted countries in Southeast Asia, with particulate pollution nearly 5 times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline. According to new data from the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), air pollution is shortening the average Thai resident’s life expectancy by 1.8 years relative to what it would be if the WHO guideline was permanently met. In the Northern region, air pollution levels are 18 to 52 percent higher than the national average, and the gains from clean air are 2 to 3 years.

As part of the AQLI’s release of its latest data on pollution’s impact in Thailand, AQLI partnered with the citizen-driven Thailand Clean Air Network (Thailand CAN), global public health organization Vital Strategies, and the Indonesian Clean Air Coalition to bring together leading experts to discuss the health threat of air pollution. 

In the webinar, a panel of leading experts shared how it is possible to protect public health while maintaining economic growth through strong citizen engagement. They shared their own examples of challenges and successes. For example, last year an Indonesian civil society coalition achieved a landmark court win that found the Jakarta government was not doing enough to improve air quality. The event came as Thailand CAN submitted the first citizen-driven Clean Air Bill to the Thai Parliament earlier this year and is working to gain public awareness. 

Panelists

• Dr. Kenneth Lee, Director, Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
• Wirun Limsawart, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Society & Health Institute, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand and a co-founder of the Thailand Clean Air Network
• Dr. Sumi Mehta, Senior Epistemologist, Vital Strategies
• Fajri Fadhillah, Environmental Lawyer, Indonesia Center for Environmental Law
• Bondan Andriyanu, Climate & Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia