U.S. Sc. Envoy shows resolve to Air Quality Improvement in BD

U.S. Science Envoy Dr. Jamie Schauer with Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser for Environment in Dhaka on Thursday.

DHAKA, JANUARY 16, 2025 – Demonstrating the U.S. government's strong commitment to supporting Bangladesh’s efforts in tackling air pollution, Dr. Jamie Schauer, the U.S. ScienceEnvoy for Air Quality, concluded a week-long visit to Dhaka from January 12-16, 2025. Duringhis visit, Dr. Schauer collaborated with local academics, government officials, and NGOs, sharingexpert insights and practical solutions to improve air quality. His visit emphasized theimportance of air quality management, effective policies, and academic collaboration to address the complex air pollution challenges facing Bangladesh, including the urgent need for advanced monitoring systems, cleaner technologies, and multi-sectoral partnerships.

Dr. Schauer, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Director of the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, has served as the U.S. Science Envoy for Air Quality since 2018.

On January 12, Dr. Schauer was the keynote speaker at the Air Quality Research and Environmental Policy Discussion at Dhaka University, with Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change in the interim government, serving as the Chief Guest.

At the event, Dr. Schauer discussed Dhaka’s critical air pollution, identifying key sources such as power plants, vehicles, biomass burning, waste combustion, construction dust, and brick kilns.

He stressed the need for advanced monitoring systems and source apportionment studies to guide policy, address seasonal and localized pollution patterns, and encourage cross-sectoral collaboration.

Dr. Schauer presented several recommendations for mitigating air pollution, including adopting cleaner fuels, using air pollution control devices on power generation and mobile sources, improving waste management to minimize waste burning, and dust control measures. He highlighted the need for capacity building, innovation, and partnerships across government, industry, and civil society including academia to implement sustainable air quality solutions.

Recognizing the multi-sectoral causes of pollution, Dr. Schauer also met with stakeholders from the power generation and transport sectors to discuss technological solutions for cleaning emissions of both PM2.5 and other air pollutants. – US Embassy press release