MANILA, Philippines – Magiging bahagi ang Pilipinas ng isang international collaboration kasama ang National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) upang pag-aralan at tugunan ang air quality issues sa Asya, ayon kay Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga nitong Linggo, Pebrero 4.
Ibinahagi ni Loyzaga na magsasagawa ng scientific research flights ang NASA na nakadisenyo upang pag-aralan ang himpapawid ng Metro Manila at mga kalapit ma rehiyon, kasama ang mga engineer at air quality specialists ng Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) na sakay ng flight at matutututo mula sa NASA scientists na sakay nito.
“This collaboration with NASA and other respected partners will lead to significant advances in our understanding of air pollution and our ability to tackle this pressing issue,” ani Loyzaga.
“The data gathered from the research flights will be used in our programs to mitigate air quality issues that affect public health and to address climate change,” dagdag pa niya.
Ang ugnayan na tinawag na Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality (ASIA – AQ), ay nagdadala ng mga eksperto mula sa NASA, DENR, National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) ng South Korea, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), at Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) ng Thailand.
Ayon sa pinuno ng DENR, gagamit ng advanced satellite technology ang NASA Mission kabilang ang ground-based observations, at airborne missions upang mas maunawaan ang air quality problems specific partikular na sa Metro Manila.
“The collaboration will help to improve air quality models, provide accurate forecasts, and develop effective policies to ensure better air quality in the future,” dagdag niya. RNT/JGC
