Strategy Misguided: the weak links between urban emission control measures, vehicular emissions, and public health in Guangzhou

Abstract

The surge in automobile use in the Pearl River Delta region has led to a substantial elevation of ambient concentrations of vehicle-based air pollutants. These pollutants have created a region-wide air pollution problem marked by a steady increase in the number of smoggy days in the Delta, presenting a serious threat to public health. Evidence gathered from Guangzhou suggests that the city's strategy for controlling urban air pollution has not been effective in tackling the newly emerging, combustion engine-generated class of pollutants because it is misguided by a highly selective and outdated urban air quality monitoring system. The disarticulation between vehicular emissions and urban emission control measures shows that a central government-prescribed methodology for air quality monitoring can strongly influence the policy priorities and administrative behavior of local government institutions.