Strengthens air quality policy in India by promoting the use of air quality modelling as an integral part of air quality management and developing accessible, policy-relevant modelling tools for decision making
Group Head
Dr Indu K Murthy
Our Impact
Modelling Air, Informing Policy, Driving Action
Our group uses state-of-the-art chemical transport models to quantify the movement of PM2.5 across Indian states, supporting the case for coordinated, multi-state air quality management. We also develop policy-relevant air quality model-based dashboards for the impact assessment of mitigation measures and sectoral interventions. We have provided scientific inputs to three policy briefs, with two more currently in progress. Among our key publications are ‘The Case for Action on Black Carbon’, which was also presented at COP28 in Dubai, and ‘Tackling Black Carbon: How to Unlock Fast Climate and Clean Air Benefits’, which outlines effective policy options for black carbon mitigation.
Contribution to the Grand Challenges
A large portion of India’s population lives in areas, both rural and urban, with dangerously high levels of pollutant concentrations. CSTEP’s grand challenge ‘Clean Air for All’ aims to address this issue. Our group develops and uses air quality models to estimate where pollutants come from, how they behave in the atmosphere, and which actions can most effectively reduce them. These models can also estimate how much pollution comes from outside a city or region, helping define air pollution control areas (also known as airsheds). In collaboration with Air Quality Observations and other groups at CSTEP, we create tools and datasets that provide valuable insights, forming the foundation for air quality policy recommendations.
