Asian Cities Research Articles

Impact of Urban Form on CO₂ Emissions Using a STIRPAT Model: Focusing on 15 cities in South, Southeast and West Asia

The United Nations (UN) estimates that an additional 2.5 billion people will reside in urban areas by 2050. Due to rapid economic development and urbanization, urban areas are responsible for more than 70% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from final energy use. Rapid urbanization will predominantly occur in emerging nations, particularly in Asia, where more than four billion people reside, accounting for around 55% of the world’s population. However, the temporal and spatial characteristics of urban structure in emerging cities and their correlations with GHG emissions are hardly understood, despite the fact that urban form is an important determinant of urban sustainability. Given this context, the study aims to evaluate the dynamics of urban form using three key measurements—population density, Moran’s index, and population gradient coefficient—in the capital cities of South, Southeast, and West Asia and investigate how urban form affects CO₂ emissions. The study employs a modified STRIPAT (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology) model as its major framework, using panel data from 2000 to 2019 with a five-year gap. The results indicate that the evolution of urban form varies from city to city while the population density continues to increase with slight variations in Moran’s and population gradient coefficients. Considering the changes in the three indicators over time in the cities under study, it can be concluded that urbanization in the researched areas is generally getting more compact. Moran’s index is a statistically significant factor concerning CO₂ emissions, indicating that CO₂ emissions could be lowered in cities with more clustered forms. The findings of this research have major implications for urban policy-makers seeking to explain the dynamics of urban form, how it evolves in developing countries, and how CO₂ emissions are affected.

Factors affecting electric vehicle adoption intention: The impact of objective, perceived, and prospective charger accessibility

In the era of e-mobility, promoting electric vehicle (EV) usage is considered a policy worth incorporating into a government’s agenda. While accessibility has been broadly recognized as important for user intention to adopt EVs, few studies have considered how accessibility affects public acceptance of EVs. This study measures the objective, perceived and prospective accessibility of public EV charging facilities, investigating how and to what extent this novel set of accessibility measures affects the EV adoption intention of individuals. The data are primarily derived from a recent questionnaire survey of driver license holders in Hong Kong administered to both EV owners and non-EV owners. Objective accessibility is measured by the number of (population-weighted) Tesla and standard chargers publicly available within five minutes walking distance of an individual’s residential district and subjective (i.e., perceived and prospective) accessibility is measured by four Likert-scale questions. The results show that objective accessibility significantly and substantially influences an individual’s intention to purchase an EV. Meanwhile, both perceived and prospective accessibility are highly significant for the adoption intention of non-EV owners. We also observe significant effects for perceived and prospective driving ranges, environmental consciousness and prior experience with EVs. This study provides a valuable reference for the impact of the accessibility of public EV chargers on EV adoption in the context of a high-density Asian city. Based on the findings, we propose various policy recommendations that integrate accessibility planning strategies into EV promotion in cities that aspire to expand e-mobility.

A Markov chain-based IoT system for monitoring and analysis of urban air quality.

Severe deterioration of urban air quality in Asian cities is the cause of a large number of deaths every year. A Markov chain-based IoT system is developed in this study to monitor, analyze, and predict urban air quality. The proposed sensing setup is integrated with an automobile and is used for collecting air quality information. An Android application is used to transfer and store the sensed data in the data cloud. The data stored is used to generate the transition matrix of the AQI states and calculate return periods for each AQI state. The estimated time interval after which an AQI event recurs or is repeated is known as return period. The actual return periods for each AQI state at the test locations in Delhi-NCR are compared with those predicted using discrete time Markov chain (DTMC) models. Average absolute forecast error using our model was found to be 3.38% and 4.06%, respectively, at the selected locations.

RAILWAY NETWORK IN ORENBURG PROVINCE AS A FACTOR OF BUSINESS ACTIVITY OF PROVINCIAL POST-REFORM MERCHANTS

The study shows how the level of development of transport communications affected the profitability and convenience of entrepreneurial activity of Orenburg merchants in the second half of the 19th - early 20th century. What is new in the work is that the state of transport and communication routes in the context of everyday work of the Orenburg post-reform merchants has not previously become a separate subject of analysis. The article shows that the commissioning of the Orenburg - Samara and Orenburg - Tashkent railway lines has significantly improved the working conditions of local entrepreneurs, diversifying the list of investment areas. In the first post-reform decades, the goods of Orenburg merchants entered the markets of the European part of Russia and the cities of Central Asia through the system of postal roads and routes of trade caravans respectively. The characteristics of the transport arteries themselves and the terrain through which they ran did not allow merchants to save money on the speed of delivery, transport large volumes of products, and also did not guarantee the safety of cargo. Since the late 1870s Orenburg flour producers, who got the opportunity to ship their goods to other regions of the country, began to build steam flour mills, and the service sector began to develop rapidly in the cities of the province.

Biomonitoring of heavy metals in the feathers of House crow (Corvus splendens) from some metropolitans of Asia and Africa.

Urban-dwelling birds can be useful biomonitors to assess the impact of the urbanisation on both public and wildlife health. Widely distributed urban bird species, the House crow, was studied for heavy metal accumulation levels from nine cities of South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa that border the Indian Ocean. Feathers were spectroscopically investigated for the deposition of ten heavy metals, i.e. As, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, iron Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu and Li. Fe and Zn were found to be the most prevalent metals in all sites. Measured concentrations of Pb (4.38-14.77mgkg-1) overall, and Fe (935.66mgkg-1) and Cu (67.17mgkg-1) at some studied sites were above the toxicity levels reported lethal in avian toxicological studies. Multivariate analysis and linear models supported geographical location as a significant predictor for the level of most of the metals. Zn and Cu, generally and Pb, Cd, Mn, Cr at some sites exhibited potential bioaccumulation from surrounding environments. Inter-species comparisons strengthen the inference that the House crow is a reliable bioindicator species for the qualitative assessment of local urban environmental pollution and could be a useful tool for inter-regional monitoring programs.

Aerosol optical depth regime over megacities of the world

Abstract. Currently, 55 % of the world's population resides in urban areas and this number is projected to increase to 70 % by 2050. Urban agglomerations with a population over 10 million, characterized as megacities, are expected to be more than 100 by 2100. Such large concentrations of population could boost creativity and economic progress, but also raises several environmental challenges such as air quality degradation. In this study, we investigate the spatial and temporal variability of urban aerosol state of 81 cities with a population over 5 million, relying on daily satellite-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrievals, derived at fine spatial resolution (0.1∘×0.1∘), over an 18-year period spanning from 2003 to 2020. According to our results, the lowest long-term mean AOD values worldwide were found in European and American cities (from 0.08 to 0.20). For almost all African and Asian cities, mean AOD ranged from 0.25 up to 0.90, but a considerable dust aerosol contribution (up to 70 %) was found for some of them with associated mean dust optical depth (DOD) values reaching up to 0.4. Mostly Chinese and Indian cities tend to have higher mean AOD values in the areas surrounding their center, while the opposite was found for most of the cities in the rest of the world. High intraannual AOD variability was revealed for the eastern American cities, while lower values were found in Chinese, eastern Indian and the eastern Mediterranean cities. During the study period, statistically significant negative AOD decadal trends were found for East Asian, European and North American cities, with the greatest decrease of −0.1 to −0.3 per decade recorded for the Chinese cities, in which the maximum mean AODs (0.45–0.91) are observed. In most of the US cities, where low mean AOD <0.17 was recorded, considerable declining AOD trends were found (−30 % to −50 % per decade). For the rest of Asian, African and South American cities, statistically significant AOD increase was found, with the greatest values of +0.07 to +0.16 per decade recorded for Indian cities. In Bengaluru (India), it is reported the lowest mean AOD value (0.2) and the maximum AOD increase (+69 %), which may be partially attributed to the population growth over the study period. The agreement of the satellite-derived AOD trends against those obtained from ground-based AERONET measurements was examined. For ground-based stations within the geographical limits of the contiguous urban area of the examined cities, a 0.93 correlation for the long-term means of AOD was found and ∼75 % of the derived trends agreed in sign. It was found that the spatial homogeneity within the examined satellite domain and the location of the surface station were key factors that determined their agreement. The present study highlights the vital and essential contribution of spaceborne products to monitor aerosol burden over megacities of the planet towards fulfilling the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of “sustainable cities and communities”, dealing with urban air quality.

Urban comics and social justice: restructuring neoliberal spaces of Delhi in Sarnath Banerjee’s all quiet in Vikaspuri

ABSTRACT The present paper seeks to focus on one of the prominent aspects of South Asian comics; the nature of urbanity, through a study of Sarnath Banerjee’s All Quiet in Vikaspuri, a narrative primarily set in Delhi. Banerjee’s Delhi is the space of the capitalists, urban planners, and corrupt policies; in short a ‘social product’, as Henri Lefebvre had formulated. The paper will examine how Delhi, in Banerjee’s comics, is symptomatic of various states of discriminatory infrastructural development, failure and violence endemic to the system, as in many other emerging South Asian cities. It will further investigate the dynamics of uneven development and urban inequality of Delhi to argue the emergence of new socio-spatial and economic trajectories in post-liberalisation India. The paper seeks to argue that through the multiple references to pulp fictions, mythic and hybrid spaces, Banerjee maps the nuanced changes in urban lifestyle and the more liberal shift towards exclusionary spatial practices such as ‘short-termism’, but also present alternative histories and regional resistance of the lived space that go against the planned space of the city. Finally, the paper will borrow insights from theorists such as Sanjay Srivastava, Ananya Roy, David Harvey, and others to argue how social and spatial justice can be achieved through urban comics that, according to Dominic Davies, helps to restructure ‘more socially and spatially just cities’.

Beyond colonial urbanism: state power, global connections and fragmented land regimes in twentieth-century Hyderabad city

AbstractUrban histories of modern South Asia have centred on British Indian cities and the reign of colonial urbanism, with dependence on metropolitan imperatives and models regarded as givens. Focusing on Hyderabad, one of the subcontinent's five largest cities and capital of an autonomous princely state throughout the colonial era, this article establishes the analytical utility of princely urbanism as a framework for writing the history of South Asian cities. Characterized by state-directed planning, transnational urbanist networks and multiple overlapping property regimes, this mode of city development and its resonance points to hidden genealogies of modern urbanism.

A comparative analysis of sustainable construction tools and their applicability to the housing sector in two countries; Burkina Faso and Sri Lanka.

The buildings and construction sector is responsible for nearly 40% of the total greenhouse emissions (GHG). Considering 50% of the building stock that will exist in 2050 is yet to be built and most of it will be devoted to housing; the sector is a determinant and transformative force to strengthen sustainability, reducing CO2 emissions and environmental degradation worldwide. Most of the increase in construction and housing is set to occur in developing countries and mainly in cities in Asia and Africa. This global picture places new housing programs in the rapidly urbanising regions as potential agents of sustainable transformation, with positive outcomes for both communities and the environment. Investing in sustainable housing has significant and real value in reducing emissions, confronting climate change, and generating better planned, inclusive, and sustainable cities. The holistic benefit achieved with the implementation of carbon neutral and carbon negative technologies is often scattered, and an integrated view of it would be a key tool to support the development of sustainable housing programmes. Considering that technologies to decarbonize and render the construction sector more sustainable have already been developed, there is a need to contrast their applicability to different countries and contexts in order to verify their functionality and identify gaps for improvement. The recent decade has witnessed a significant improvement at the global level with regards to the application of the concept of sustainability to the built environment, this being demonstrated by the multiple sustainability ratings and frameworks being developed to certify building performance. Their adoption has been critically important in most regions in the so-called Global North, where countries have started enforcing them at a normative level. While these tools’ accuracy and comprehensiveness could be disputed, their importance in promoting a systematic standardisation of the adoption of sustainability measures in the built environment is endorsed. Nevertheless, the diffusion of such tools and frameworks across rapidly urbanising middle and low-income countries has been so far extremely limited. There are myriad reasons why this is the case: tools based for high-income country contexts, their complexity, the need for accurate data and specific capacity for their adoption and diffusion, the lack of contextual relevance with regards to the specific market, culture and behavioural dynamics, and more. The following paper aims at demonstrating the value of shifting toward sustainable building practices by a comparative analysis of existing global tools and certifications and their applicability to low and middle-income countries undergoing a rapid urbanisation process. It proposes a three-phased multi-stakeholders methodology. The outcome of these three phases is combined, providing a more appropriate definition of effective and operative guidelines and tools for sustainable housing in rapidly urbanising middle and lowincome regions.

Air quality valuation using online surveys in three Asian megacities

Due to worsening air quality across many cities in developing countries, there is an urgent need to consider more aggressive air pollution control measures. Valuation of the benefits of clean air is crucial for establishing the rationale for such policies, but is methodologically challenging, often expensive, and therefore remains limited. This study assesses the potential for more standardized and cost-effective measurement of the demand for air quality improvements, applying a contingent valuation procedure via online surveys, in three Asian megacities facing severe but varying pollution problems – Beijing, Delhi, and Jakarta. The study’s primary contribution is to demonstrate the viability of this approach, which significantly enhances comparability of valuations and their drivers across locations, and thereby has great potential for informing policy analysis and targeting of specific interventions. A second contribution is to supply sorely needed data on the benefits of clean air in these three particular Asian cities, which collectively have a population of about 50 million people. The annual willingness-to-pay for air quality to reach national standards is estimated to be US$150 in Jakarta (where average PM 2.5 concentration, at 45 μ g/m 3 , exceeds national standards by the smallest amount, specifically a factor of 1.3), US$1845 in Beijing (PM 2.5 at 58 μ g/m 3 , 1.7 times the standard), and US$1760 in Delhi (PM 2.5 at 133 μ g/m 3 , 3.3 times the standard). The methods deployed could be applied more widely to construct a worldwide database of comparable air quality valuations. • Online surveys provide a low-cost, replicable way of obtaining air quality valuation estimates. • Air pollution levels in urban Asia are extremely high, but little is known about its costs. • The cost of air pollution is especially high in Beijing and Delhi; and somewhat lower in Jakarta. • Air quality valuations are related to household income, averting expenditures, and household characteristics.

Everyday life along a regenerated urban river in Shenzhen

Many developed Asian cities have prioritized urban river regeneration, which translates into radically transforming the cityscape by retrofitting multi-purpose blue and green infrastructure. Still, many questions remain about socialization and space: Who are the users? Which activities are performed? Do landscape settings and contextual urban conditions impact the use patterns of regenerated urban rivers? This study aims to answer these questions by focusing on a highly successful urban river regeneration: the Futian River in Shenzhen. In total, 3,373 users and 24 activity types were observed along the river three times (two weekdays, one weekend day). The observations revealed different uses throughout the period: aged 40+ visited in the morning and those below 40 visited mid-day; males (56.7%) and young adults (42.6%) are represented categories for sex and age group, respectively. The most popular activities were walking (28.6%), relaxing (15.2%) and picnicking (7.3%). Behavioural mapping highlighted the clustering of users and activities in specific locations, so the river space provides crucial recreational space for low-income villagers. Through these findings, this study can provide insights about user habits to designers and policymakers producing responsive spaces and policies. This research will also contribute to the shifting attention towards the practice of everyday life.

A four-step method based on sequential solution of relevant model equations to predict condensation risk for a radiant cooling system

The problem of surface condensation constraints widespread application of radiant cooling (RC) system. Although, a dehumidification system is reported as a solution, the viability of using dehumidification for different climates is not conclusive. This study is conducted to determine the appropriation of dehumidification process for RC systems in different climates. An office building with an embedded RC system is modelled and simulated in EnergyPlus v9.6. Eighteen Asian cities are chosen based on ASHRAE's moisture zone classification for the simulation. Initially, the attainment of thermal comfort is assessed followed by an assessment of condensation. The results show that the system maintains required thermal comfort without an occurrence of condensation in eight cities with both dry and humid climates. It is noted that the condensation of an area does not depend on dry or humid zone of the area. Conversely, it is found that the outdoor humidity ratio is a major contributor towards the occurrence of condensation. A novel method is developed and validated that involves solving relevant model equations in a specific sequence to predict condensation risk based on outdoor humidity ratio. Results show that if the value of condensation risk is up to 20%, an RC system would provide thermal comfort without a dehumidification system and surface condensation. The proposed method will enable the designers and engineers to decide on provision of dehumidification for an RC system without going through rigorous simulation or experimental work.

Assessment of 3D Geoportals of Cities According to CityGML Standard Guidelines

Along with the development of three-dimensional computer graphics, methods of collecting and making 3D spatial data available became a significant issue covering the interoperability of data derived from multiple sources. Between 2006 and 2008, the Open Geospatial Consortium designed a CityGML model as a proposal for a uniform classification, graphic representation, construction, and storage of 3D objects. A considerable part of three-dimensional visualisations, now gaining popularity, make use of solutions based on the CityGML standard, with which they are compatible to various degrees. The survey involved a comprehensive analysis of sixteen generally accessible 3D geoportals of cities in Europe, Asia, and North America in terms of their broad-sense functionality as well as technical and thematic compatibility with the assumptions of CityGML standards. The level of realisation of various features related to the provided spatial data services was evaluated, taking into account elements that the present-day world literature deems to be particularly desirable. The analysis resulted in an elaborate ranking of websites according to 21 criteria. The most common objects and features of the analysed geoportals were also detailed. In addition, the authors presented several solutions to improve the quality of three-dimensional geoportals of cities by implementing external data from various sources.

External Locus-of-Hope and Collectivist Coping in Students from Three Asian Cities

The positive education movement has called attention to the importance of student well-being and the role of positive constructs, such as hope, in the educational process. The external locus-of-hope dimensions, or positive cognitions about the role of external actors in the pursuit of important goals, positively predict student well-being, learning approaches, and achievement. However, external locus-of-hope dimensions were found to be associated with maladaptive coping styles among Asian students. In this study, we revisit this relationship between external locus-of-hope dimensions and coping among students, by focusing on collectivist coping strategies that are assumed to be more relevant to Asian students. A total of 780 university students from three Asian cities (Hong Kong, n = 295; Macau, n = 225; Manila, n = 260) were asked to complete a questionnaire on collectivist coping styles, internal and external locus-of-hope dimensions. Separate multiple regression analyses indicated that the coping style of acceptance/reframing/striving was mainly predicted by internal locus-of-hope in the three groups, but the coping styles of family support and religious coping were consistently predicted by external locus-of-hope dimensions in all three groups of students. The two other coping styles of avoidance/detachment and personal emotional outlets were also predicted by specific external locus-of-hope dimensions, but only in particular groups. The results are discussed in terms of how external locus-of-hope dimensions might evoke both adaptive and maladaptive coping among Asian students, which may be associated with primary and secondary control dimensions of the collectivist coping styles.

Energy cost analysis of growing strawberries in a controlled environment chamber

The purpose of this paper is to examine the energy cost of strawberry cultivation in a controlled environment chamber. To determine the energy cost, a 2.25 × 5.05 × 2.2 m3 testing room for growing strawberries was set up for the experiment in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Light-emitting diode (LED) grow lighting and air conditioning were used to regulate the environment inside the room to satisfy the strawberry growing requirements. There were 180 strawberry plants in the room. The energy consumption of the room was recorded for about 20 weeks. A computer model of the controlled environment chamber was developed and validated using the TRaNsient SYStem simulation tool (TRNSYS). The validated model was then used to predict the energy cost for one strawberry crop. In addition, the TRNSYS model was used to predict the energy consumption and costs of the room using weather data from five Southeast Asian cities (Chiang Mai, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, Ho Chi Minh City, and Vientiane). It was found that the energy cost of growing strawberries in the controlled environment chamber in Chiang Mai was 2170 USD/crop cycle (71,500 THB/crop cycle) which is equivalent to 12 USD/plant. It was assumed that the average yield of strawberries would be around 150–400 grams per plant under protected cultivation for about 35 days from the fertilisation of the first flower. Consequently, the predicted energy cost for growing strawberries in the controlled environment chamber in Vientiane was the lowest, at 906 USD per crop cycle (5 USD/plant or 14 USD/kg), because of the low ambient temperature and low electricity tariff.

Survival of A. Ahngerianus (Isoptera: Hodotermitidae) Under the Influence of External Factors (Relative Humidity and Temperature) and Use of Different Water Sources

A.ahngerianus Jacobs (Hodotermitidae) is a species of subterranean termite causing damage in Central Asian cities. Despite its economic importance, there has been no research on its basic biological aspects for laboratory management and control strategies. The aim of this study was to evaluate relative humidity, temperature and to identify other water sources that A. ahngerianus may use for best survival under laboratory conditions. Other water sources that termites can use were identified using a range of six relative humidity levels (10 to 100%) and three temperatures (25, 30, and 35 °C). These included metabolic water from food decomposition, fat body water, free liquid water, groundwater, and water bound to various substrates (e.g., wood, soil, and chick carcasses). The results of this study showed a significant influence of all factors on termite survival or termite preference. At 100% humidity and 25 °C, A.ahngerianus had the highest survival rate, reaching 89.62% after three days of observation. Based on these preliminary analyses, it was concluded that with the appropriate percentage of humidity, further studies using biologically relevant conditions can be conducted to investigate different aspects of A.ahngerianus biology.

Identification of volatile organic compound emissions from anthropogenic and biogenic sources based on satellite observation of formaldehyde and glyoxal

Anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are serious pollutants in the atmosphere because of their toxicity and as precursors of secondary organic aerosols and ozone pollution. Although in-situ measurements provide accurate information on VOCs, their spatial coverage is limited and insufficient. In this study, we provide a global perspective for identifying anthropogenic VOC emission sources through the ratio of glyoxal to formaldehyde (RGF) based on satellite observations. We assessed typical cities and polluted areas in the mid latitudes and found that some Asian cities had higher anthropogenic VOC emissions than cities in Europe and America. For heavily polluted areas, such as the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), the areas dominated by anthropogenic VOCs accounted for 23 % of the total study areas. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant decline in RGF values was observed in the YRD and western United States, corresponding to a reduction in anthropogenic VOC emissions. Furthermore, developing countries appeared to have higher anthropogenic VOC emissions than developed countries. These observations could contribute to optimising industrial structures and setting stricter pollution standards to reduce anthropogenic VOCs in developing countries.

Co‐development of an integrated assessment framework to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of selected nature‐based water treatment technologies in Sri Lanka, The Philippines, and Vietnam

AbstractWater quality is a critical challenge in Asia in the context of growing industrialization, urbanization, and climate change. Nature‐based solutions (NbS) could play an important role in reducing urban water pollution, while generating multiple co‐benefits that could make cities more liveable and resilient. In this regard, a number of pilot and demonstration projects have been set up to explore their potential across cities in Asia. Their effectiveness and impacts, however, have not been adequately documented, thus how they can be sustained, replicated and up‐scaled remain poorly understood. This study aims to contribute to addressing this challenge by co‐developing an integrated assessment framework and employing it to understand how existing evaluations of NbS in the region can be improved. It focuses specifically on a set of nature‐based solutions that have been employed for water treatment across six cities in Southeast Asia (two in each Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Vietnam), namely, floating wetlands, constructed wetlands and maturation ponds. The study also suggests specific methodologies for capturing a set of core indicators considered relevant for assessing the effectiveness and capturing the multi‐faceted impacts of the examined NbS.

Examining similarity indicators in six planned capital cities from Africa and Asia: a qualitative research technique

There is little research-based evidence regarding the similarities and differences in urban plans and urban forms, regarding urban planning and design, between planned capital cities in Africa and Asia. In recognition of the establishment of planned capital cities on these continents, this article limited its case studies to six planned capital cities of the Global South, in the post-independence and post-crisis period. By using bibliometric analysis, snowballing technique, and content analysis approaches, this study determines data sources, including books, journals, city reports, and internet blogs. The results show that these planned capital cities are similar in their urban plans: geographical, socio-cultural and demographic dimensions (location, size, and population densities), historical context of societies, and their goals and aspirations. Meanwhile, urban forms have similarities and differences based on paradigms, organization and spatial formation, spatial arrangement of activities, and architectural artefacts. This study suggests a conceptual and phasal framework, which combines planning history and theory in the first phase, and urban planning and design implementations in the second phase. The results demonstrate how considering our framework can limit similarities in the urban plans and urban forms of planned capital cities. This framework can guide urban planners and designers in academia and professional practice.

Chemistry of PM2.5 in haze events in two East Asian cities during winter–spring 2019

East Asian experiences frequent severe haze episodes (EPs) during winter–spring, and their causes are not fully understood. Two EPs (daily average PM2.5 > 35 μg m−3) occurred at Tianjin (TJ), China, and Daejeon (DJ), Korea, during late February (EP-1) and early March (EP-2) 2019. The mean total PM2.5 concentrations at the TJ and DJ sites during these events (82.9 and 66.2 μg m−3, respectively) were approximately three times higher than those observed during non-haze events (27.3 and 23.0 μg m−3, respectively). MODIS satellite RGB images suggested that aerosols were transported regionally from east Asian countries to the DJ site during EPs. After NO3−, the major contributors to PM2.5 during the EPs at both sites were NH4+, SO42−, and organic carbon (OC), indicating that secondary aerosols were important in severe haze formation. During the EPs, the distributions of secondary chemical species were similar at the two sites, with coefficient of divergence (COD) values of <0.2, whereas primary chemical species had dissimilar distributions with COD values of >0.2. This suggests that secondary aerosols may be impacted by regional influences, whereas primary aerosols are subject to more local influence. The average COD values in the first two days (27–28 February) relative to the remaining days (1–7 March) were <0.2 at the DJ site during EP-2, indicating no additional local production of secondary and primary species. Sulfur oxidation ratios (SOR) were lower at the TJ site than at the DJ site, while nitrogen oxidation ratios (NOR) were higher. Gradual increases observed in SOR and NOR at the TJ site early in the EPs imply significant secondary formation of SO42− and NO3−. Strong correlations between aerosol liquid-water content (ALWC) and SOR and NOR at the TJ site indicate that aqueous-phase reactions were important in the formation of SO42− and NO3−. Although high concentrations of SO42− and NO3− were observed at the DJ site, correlations between ALWC and SOR/NOR were weak with low regression gradients, implying that SO42− and NO3− may have been associated with regional transport. Low COD values, and SOR and NOR values similar to those at the beginning of EP-2, imply that additional formation of SO42− or NO3− at the DJ site is not active, with stagnant atmospheric conditions prevailing.