Oman Marks International Day of Clean Air, Highlights Air Quality Efforts

Muscat  (ONA): The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Environment Authority, is joining countries around the world in marking the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, observed annually on 7 September.

The day aims to raise awareness of the importance of improving air quality and reducing sources of pollution, and to encourage national and international efforts toward providing a healthy and sustainable environment for current and future generations.

This year’s occasion is held under the theme “Clean Air for Climate Action,” a message that directly links improving air quality with mitigating the effects of climate change, and affirms that measures to reduce emissions can simultaneously achieve health, environmental, and economic benefits for communities.

The Sultanate of Oman is giving growing attention to air quality as one of the key pillars of environmental protection and human health, with the Environment Authority working to strengthen the air quality monitoring and observation system, track various sources of emissions and pollutants, and develop the tools and technologies used in collecting and analyzing environmental data, thereby supporting decision-making and the formulation of appropriate measures to curb air pollution.

The Authority continues its efforts to regulate and monitor emissions resulting from industrial and developmental activities, and to strengthen compliance with environmental requirements and standards, alongside employing modern technologies in monitoring operations, which contributes to raising the efficiency of the air quality management system and achieving better levels of environmental protection.

Linking air quality with climate action represents one of the important pathways to achieving sustainable development, as a number of sources of air pollution are also linked to greenhouse gas emissions.

This makes reducing emissions, improving the efficiency of resource and energy use, and promoting low-emission solutions steps that simultaneously contribute to improving air quality and supporting efforts to address climate change.

The observance of the International Day of Clean Air underscores the importance of integrating efforts among government institutions, the private sector, communities, and individuals, and of raising awareness of practices that help reduce emissions and preserve air quality, in support of national directions toward a sustainable environment and a low-carbon economy.

In this context, the Sultanate of Oman has an integrated national network for monitoring ambient air quality, operated through dozens of stations strategically distributed across the various governorates and industrial and vital areas, alongside continuous emission monitoring devices at industrial sources.

This system measures pollution indicators and analyzes data in real time through modern digital platforms and systems, such as the “Naqi” application, enhancing readiness and rapid response to protect the environment and public health. These efforts and ongoing field studies have culminated in the Sultanate of Oman achieving a significant leap in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI), rising from 149th to 50th place globally, in addition to ranking first regionally in the air quality index, reflecting the effectiveness of the national policies and initiatives adopted in this field.

It is worth noting that the United Nations General Assembly designated 7 September as the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of clean air and encouraging cooperation and joint action at the national, regional, and international levels to address air pollution and its effects on human health, the environment, and the climate.