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Context

• 7^th September - The International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.

About

• The International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies is designated by the United Nations General Assembly on 7 September to strengthen international cooperation in improving air quality and reducing air pollution.
• The first observance of the International Day was held on 7 September 2020, with events held around the world.

Resolution

• In the resolution, the General Assembly emphasized "the need to strengthen international cooperation at the global, regional and subregional levels in various areas related to improving air quality, including the collection and utilization of data, joint research and development, and the sharing of best practices."
• It includes a specific focus on the disproportionate effect of poor air quality on women, children and older persons.

Aim

• The International Day aims to raise awareness on the importance of clean air for health, productivity, the economy, and the environment; demonstrate the close link of air quality to other environmental and developmental challenges such as climate change; promote solutions that improve air quality by sharing actionable knowledge best practices, innovations, and success stories; and bring together diverse actors for concerted national, regional and international approaches for effective air quality management.

2023 International Day of Clean Air and Blue Skies

• The theme chosen for the International Day of Clean Air and Blue Skies this year is “Together for clean air”.
• The idea is to seek stronger partnerships, increased investments and shared responsibility to mitigate air pollution and public health risks. Regional cooperation becomes critical as air has no boundaries and action cannot be siloed.
• Science has made it increasingly clear that pollution from the larger airshed continues to influence and undermine local efforts to mitigate air pollution. Action therefore requires a regional scale. This local-to-regional connection requires cross-sector and multi-jurisdictional strategy.
• Regional cooperation is also the most efficient way to leverage and maximise outcome of funding that is available for clean air action as well as for all other sectoral action.

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/air/international-day-of-clean-air-and-blue-skies-2023-india-needs-airshed-policies-to-tackle-air-pollution-91615

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