Japan side
Kanazawa University
Dr. FURUUCHI Masami, Professor, Faculty of Geoscience and Civil Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University (Atmospheric science and engineering), Principal investigator, Leaders of the overall management group and Group 3(GR3) (Social Implementation)
Dr. HATA Mitsuhiko, Professor, Faculty of Geoscience and Civil Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University (Atmospheric science and engineering), Project Sub-leader, Leader of GR1(Understanding of air pollution in Cambodia), Member of GR3
Dr. MATSUKI Atsushi, Associate Professor, Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Atmospheric science, a Member of GR1/3.
Dr. Worradon Phairuang, Project Assistant Professor, Faculty of Geoscience and Civil Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University (Ambient aerosol nanoparticles), Member of GR1/2/3
Dr. Amin Muhammad, Post-doctoral Researcher, Faculty of Geoscience and Civil Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University (Urban air pollutions), Member of GR2/3
Dr. HASHIMOTO Kiyota, Research Collaborator, Faculty of Geoscience and Civil Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University (Data sciences), Member of GR2/3
Dr. IKEMORI Fumikazu, Collaborating Researcher, Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Monitoring of air pollutants, Member of GR1/3
Dr. WADA Masashi, Research Collaborator, Faculty of Geoscience and Civil Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University (Data sciences), Member of GR2/3
Nagasaki University
Dr. TORIBA Akira, Professor, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Leader of GR2, Member of GR3
Osaka Metropolitan University
Dr. YANAGIMOTO Hidekazu, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Informatics, Osaka Metropolitan University, Machine Learning, Member of GR2/3
Osaka Ohtani University
Dr. NASU Masao, Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Ohtani University, Pharmaceutical Health Science/Microbiology, Member of overall management/GR3
Particle Plus Cooperation
Mr. MIZUNO Masato, CEO, Member of GR1/3
Members from Organizations in Cambodia (Representativies)
Institute of Technology of Cambodia, ITC
H.E. Po Kimtho, Rector, Project Representative of Cambodia side
Dr. Or Chanmoly, Head of Research and Innovation Center (RIC), Coordinator of Cambodia side, Member of Overall Management Group and Leader of GR3
National University of Management, NUM
Dr. Ly Sokheng, Vice-Rector in charge of Financial Affairs and Research Coordinator, Representative of researchers of NUM, Member of Overall management and GR2/3
University of Health Sciences，UHS
Dr. Bory Sothavireak, Vice Dean of Faculty of Pharmacy, Representative of researchers of UHS, Member of Overall management group and Leader of GR2, Member of GR3
Ministry of Environment, MoE
Mr. Thiv Sophearith, Deputy Director General of Division of Environmental Protection, Member of Overall management group and Leader of GR3, Member of GR1
Implementation Structure (Fig.1)
Overall Management Group: The overall management of project activities, Proposals of Platform activities, etc.
Group1 (GR1): Understanding the status and characteristics of air pollution in Cambodia, transboundary influences, emission sources, emission inventory etc.
Group2(GR2): Evaluation of environmental risks (Micro and macroscopic risks of air pollution, Proposal of strategies for mitigating potential health risk, risk data base for air pollution), etc.
Group3(GR3): Social implementation. Management policy of Platform, Action plans, proposals for mitigation, international network of researchers etc.
Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC)
Japan side: JICA, JST
Cambodia side: Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport
Structure of implementation
Recent situation regarding air pollution in Cambodia and Southeast Asia
Cambodia is a typical developing country, the economy of which has been growing rapidly. However, too rapid economic growth combined with a lack of well-prepared environmental infrastructures and organized risk management systems have caused various environmental problems and associated health risks. Air pollution is also a typical issue in Cambodia that has not been given a priority in developing countries, compared with those for water/soil pollution and waste management. Such increased problems associated with air pollution have been caused, not only by significant increases in road traffic and construction due to the economic growth as well as household burning of wood fuel and non-controlled waste and crop residue burning for energy requirements. In the Southeast Asian region, which includes Cambodia, the large-scale burning of agricultural residues and agriculture-related forest fires are now becoming a major issue because of the transboundary movement of air pollutants between neighboring countries. Since the problem with air pollution is not only due to increased pollutant emission but also related to a lack of infrastructure for environmental monitoring that can provide accurate and reliable information as well as human resources in this field. The development of human resources that are capable of managing reliable information on the environment and to use it properly for the better management and policy making has now become truly important.
According to air monitoring surveys conducted by Kanazawa University continued for more than 10 years from 2011, the 2020 average concentration of PM2.5 (70µg/m3) at ITC in Phnom Penh exceeded 80% of the annual average level in New Delhi, India, which had the world’s worst record in 2020, corresponding to ~4.4 times of the roadside level in Tokyo. These facts suggest that serious air pollution by fine particulates occurred in Phnom Penh. It is also interesting to note that during the last decade, the annual average PM2.5 level has increased by around 1.5 times while the PM0.1 level increased further, by nearly 2.3 times. These figures indicate that ultrafine particle pollution has become a more important and critical issue. Such a situation is mainly attributed to the rapid increase in road traffic, construction, the usage of household wood fuel and the burning of waste and agricultural residues, or increases in pollutant emissions. However, another problem can be attributed to the lack of proper management of these activities, the infrastructure for environmental monitoring to provide reliable information on the status of air pollution as well as a lack of human resources and systems that would allow this information to be used in policy making and risk management.