Mexico City and its environs (MAVM) constitute one of the two largest metropolitan areas in the world . There are 18 million inhabitants living in the MAVM, equivalent to about 19% of the country's entire population. The MAVM also produces more than a third of the national GDP and generates, in the process, 4 million tons of waste per year, and 5 million tons of atmospheric pollutants.
After the formulation and implementation of many of the activities proposed under the Comprehensive Program to Combat Atmospheric Pollution (PICCA: execution period: 1990-1995) and then PROAIRE (execution period: 1996-2000), significant improvements were achieved in some of the most critical parameters for air quality. Examples were the dramatic reductions in lead concentration and in emissions of CO. Sulfur dioxide pollution has been reduced in sufficient amounts to achieve healthy levels in the Zone.
To ensure that by 2010, air quality has substantially improved, in accordance with the Air Quality plans (PROAIRE) in the MAVM, thereby directly improving the quality of life and health of the population, the global purpose is to remove barriers to the application, implementation and dissemination of measures that will allow the lessening of GHG emissions originated in the MAVM.
Following the workshop in June 1999 in Mexico City, the Clean Air Initiative will assist the Mexican Authorities in the preparation of the PROAIRE 2 (2001 2010). The support will focus on the application of an economic evaluation toolkit to establish priorities among the different control strategies to be included in the Plan.
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