Bangkok, Thailand – The United States and Thailand launched the new Mekong Air Quality Explorer Tool to support Thailand’s efforts to address air pollution challenges. The new state-of-the-art, publicly available tool uses satellite and advanced computer models to provide  more accurate forecasting of air pollution up to three days out. 

The new tool was developed by SERVIR-Mekong, a partnership between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in collaboration with the Royal Thai Government’s Pollution Control Department (PCD) and the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA).

Currently, air quality in Thailand is measured using a small number of local monitoring stations. By using satellite data, Royal Thai Government can collect data across a larger area to fill in the data gaps and capture a more accurate view of the air quality across Thailand, not just in urban centers.

At a press event hosted today by the PCD, USAID Regional Development Mission for Asia Director Dr. Steven G. Olive said, “Poor air quality is a serious seasonal problem in Thailand that has persisted for over a decade. Through the SERVIR-Mekong project, USAID is pleased to help improve air quality monitoring throughout Thailand and the region and to disseminate this information to the public through the Air Quality Explorer Tool. In addition to providing Thailand with more accurate air pollution readings, this tool also has the potential to address the transboundary challenges that air pollution poses to the region."

Since 2013, SERVIR-Mekong has supported governments, regional institutions, and other key stakeholders in lower Mekong countries to use publicly available satellite data to prepare for and respond to disasters, manage natural resources, and improve food security. The project has worked with the PCD and GISTDA for nearly two years to develop the Air Quality Explorer Tool.