	Press Release
	Embargo	This content is embargoed until 27 October at 16:30 KST.
	Environmental Satellite Center, National Institute of Environmental Research	Director Lee Dong Won Senior Researcher Chang Limseok Researcher Choi Won Jun
		+82-32-560-8430 / 8461 / 8433
	Distribution date	27 October 2020/ Five pages

PAN for Air Quality Monitoring over Asia

◇ Partnership of NIER-KOICA-UNESCAP-Keco to cooperate on satellite data applications to monitor air quality and climate change over Asia

◇ Building a ground-based remote sensing network, PAN, in 13 Asian countries including Thailand in connection with satellite air quality data

* PAN: Pandora Asia Network

□ The National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER, President Chang Yoon-Seok) under the Korean Ministry of Environment (ME) announced that a four-party partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency	(KOICA), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and the Korea Environment Corporation (K-eco, CEO Jang Jun-young) has been signed on 27 October 2020, 16:30 (KST) to cooperatively implement the Building the Pan-Asia Partnership for Geospatial Air Quality information (PAPGAPi) Project.

○ The main objective of the PAPGAPi Project is to share the data on air quality (air pollutants and climate change inducing gases) from the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS), onboard the Korean satellite GEO-KOMPSAT-2B (GK-2B) launched on 19 February 2020, with 13 Asian countries*.

* Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam

□ GEMS is the world’s first satellite sensor that observes air pollutants (fine dust, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, formaldehyde, etc.) from geostationary orbit over most part of Asia from Japan to eastern India and from southern Mongolia to northern Indonesia. The official GEMS data service is expected to begin in 2021.

□ With the total budget of USD 4 million (about KRW 2.7 billion) until 2023, this Project plans to establish the Pandora* Asia Network (PAN), where 20 Pandora instruments will be installed in the 13 Asian countries starting with Thailand this year.

* Pandora is a ground-based remote sensing instrument with the similar data retrieval mechanism to spaceborne atmospheric chemistry sensors. It can be used for both air quality monitoring and satellite data validation.

○ The NIER will be in charge of the establishment of PAN, provide GEMS data, and run the Research Center for Air Quality Remote Sensing to support GEMS data application and Pandora operation.

○ KOICA will supervise the Project, including the monitoring and management of the budget execution, progress and performance of the Project; UNESCAP will deliver capacity building programs to support the establishment of policies related to air quality and utilizing environmental satellite data in the countries; and K-eco will install and test operate the Pandoras in the beneficiary countries.

○ The PAPGAPi Project is strongly supported by President Moon Jae-in, as expressed in his speeches to the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit (25 November 2019) and the 1st International Day of Clean Air for blue skies (7 September 2020), where he promised that Korea will share the GEMS air quality data with other Asian countries.

○ This Project is expected to contribute to further enhancing the national reputation, in a time when the world is trying to learn from Korea’s response to COVID-19, by sharing satellite air quality data and best practices of GEMS data application and transferring Korea’s advanced environment technology through joint research with partner agencies in the countries.

□ Kim Young-woo, Director General of the Climate and Air Quality Research Department of the NIER said, “Air pollution cannot be addressed by individual countries. I hope this Project becomes the foundation for stronger cooperation in the region to bring blue skies back in Asia.”

Attachment : Partnership Signing Ceremony.

	For more information, please contact Researcher Choi Won Jun (at choiwj@me.go.kr), Environmental Satellite Center, NIER.

Attachment		Partnership Signing Ceremony

□ Introduction

○ (Background) Building the Pan-Asia Partnership for Geospatial Air Pollution information (PAPGAPi)

○ Participating organizations: National Institute of environmental Research (NIER), Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Korea Environment Corporation (K-eco)

○ Date/Venue: 27 November 2020 at 16:30 / KOICA Headquarters (Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do)

□ Content

○ KOICA is responsible for Project management, NIER and K-eco for PAN establishment, and UNESCAP for Asian capacity building on GEMS and Pandora data applications as follows:

	KOICA					UNESCAP					NIER			K-eco
	Budget support					Asian capacity building					PAN establishment

- KOICA to manage and monitor the Project, including the budget execution based on each partner agency's Project performance, in line with each agency rules, and overall management of the Project schedule and performance, and to lead the communication and coordination among stakeholders;

- NIER to be in charge of the establishment of the ground-based remote sensing network, provide GEMS data, and run the Research Center for Air Quality Remote Sensing;

- UNESCAP to analyze demands in the Countries and to deliver capacity building programs to support the establishment of policies related to air quality and utilizing environmental satellite data in the Countries; and

- K-eco to install and test operate the ground-based remote sensing equipment to establish the network.

□ Program

Time		Activities	Venue
16:30- 16:50	20 m	▪Leadership conversation	Reception Room
16:50- 17:15	3 m 3 m 12 m 7 m	▪Opening & introduction of participants ▪Introduction to the Partnership ▪Leader’s remarks (3 minutes per organization) ▪Signing and group photo	Boardroom