Taipei: Atmospheric science experts from NASA and several other countries are in Taiwan to take part in a workshop on cross-border air pollution hosted by Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment (MOENV). The event is being held Tuesday and Wednesday in Taipei. “We expect Taiwan’s air pollution monitoring technology to resonate with the world through in-depth dialogues between scholars and experts at this international workshop,” the MOENV stated on Facebook Tuesday. The ministry highlighted the importance of cross-border collaboration to improve regional and urban air quality while showcasing Taiwan’s environmental monitoring capabilities.

According to Focus Taiwan, the workshop, titled “2024 Seven Seas Program and Gaoping Experiment International Workshop,” includes participants from countries such as South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. Taiwan has been collaborating with NASA and multiple Asian countries on monitoring cross-border air pollution since the
start of this year. High-resolution aerial three-dimensional imaging results, conducted by NASA between February and March this year, were released during the workshop.

Hal Maring, NASA’s Radiation Sciences Program manager, delivered a speech at the workshop’s opening ceremony, commending Taiwan’s air monitoring capabilities. Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming shared insights from the project, indicating that Taiwan’s air quality is comparable to that of Japan or South Korea. The project measured major air pollutants, revealing that Taiwan’s air quality is influenced by both local industry and high-level atmospheric circulation.

Minister Peng expressed interest in continuing cooperation with NASA, with future plans including launching an air quality monitoring satellite with NASA’s assistance. Lin Neng-huei, a distinguished professor at National Central University’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences, noted that NASA’s monitoring data from March 3 showed that pollution from outside Taiwan might account for
more than half of the atmospheric pollution in Taiwan. By collaborating with NASA, Taiwan gained a better understanding of pollution at different atmospheric levels.