Development of Risk-based Air Quality Management Strategies under the Impacts of Climate Change

Climate change is predicted to adversely affect air quality through changes in climate conditions and emissions of air pollutant precursors. To protect future air quality and human health, there is an urgent need to develop effective and cost-efficient air quality management strategies under the impacts of climate change. This work presents a framework that can help policy-makers develop climate-responsive air quality management strategies. Developments of air quality management strategies under the impacts of climate change are fundamentally risk assessment and risk management processes involving four steps: 1) assessment of the climate change impacts and associated uncertainties; 2) determination of air quality targets; 3) selections of potential air quality control measures; and 4) identification of optimal management strategies by minimizing costs or the impacts of climate change under limited resources. The main challenge relates to the level of uncertainties associated with climate change forecast and advancements in future control measures since they could significantly affect the determination of air quality targets and selections of control measures. However, the concept presented here can still help decision-makers make appropriate responses to climate change when developing air quality management strategies.