Abstract: Kathmandu Valley in Nepal suffers from one of the worst air pollution problems in in the world. It is largest metropolitan region in the Himalayan foothills. However, it a relatively less-studied region. In this presentation, the results of the studies (observations and emission inventories) carried out over last ten years under the SusKat (Sustainable atmosphere for the Kathmandu Valley) to understand very high ambient black carbon (BC) in the Kathmandu Valley are presented. Emissions of BC from the sources such as vehicles, brick kilns, agroresidue burning, garbage burning, and forest fires are quantified. These results are being used together with atmospheric simulations to understand physical and chemical processes and mechanisms, as well as potential mitigation measures.

Bio: Dr. Maheswar Rupakheti is a research group leader at the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (RIFS) in Potsdam, Germany. His group is conducting research to explore and investigate atmospheric science, air pollution and climate change in South Asia, and to facilitate transformation processes towards clean air solutions together with key stakeholders. Prior to joining RIFS, he worked for the United Nations Environment Program’s Atmospheric brown clouds program. Currently, he is a Vice-Chair of Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a member of the scientific Steering Committee (SSC) of the International Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (ICACGP), and a member of the working group 3 (Nutrition and Pollution) of the Earth Commission, which is hosted by the Future Earth. He has over 90 peer-reviewed scientific publications to his credit.