Crucial Air Quality, Atmospheric Environment, and Climate Change in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Climate change affects many countries in various and different aspects from region to region and challenges policymakers and scientists to reduce greenhouse gasses (GHGs), mitigate impacts, and provide adaptation measures. Developing and developed countries aim to reduce climate change impacts but the opportunities and capacities of each country to achieve goals depend on the level of national income that affects scientific knowledge and scientific facilities, which is the basis to support policy in the proper direction. Nevertheless, low- to upper-middle-income countries do not have sufficient resources to cope with this complicated scientific challenge. Air quality is related to carbon and pollutant emissions, precursors of some GHGs, short-lived species (SLCPs), and climate impact drivers. Interaction between air quality via atmospheric processes results in strengthening/weakening impacts of climate change. The recent research advancement in low- and middle-income countries will provide state-of-the-art knowledge to communities and scientific approaches to support the needs of developing countries mentioned in the COP27 meeting.

Various incidents that result from climate change would be associated with physical and chemical processes in the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases (GHGs) and pollutants interact with physical factors which results in changes in climatic properties. Understanding climate change issues varies depending on the capacities of each country. Monitoring, mitigation, and reduction of GHGs, related air pollutants, SLCPs, development of emission inventory, co-benefits and interaction between air quality and climate change, physical and chemical mechanisms in the atmosphere, climate variability, and impacts of extreme and slow onset events by climate change – understanding and research in these areas are needed in developing countries to prevent, mitigate, and make consequent decisions. The purpose of this Research Topic is to highlight the progress and efforts of the research community in low- to upper-middle-income economy countries to improve knowledge on air quality, atmospheric environment, and climate change and to support the development of scientific solutions.

This Research Topic aims to publish original papers concerning recent research on air quality, the atmospheric environment, and climate change that focuses on low- to upper-middle-income economy countries. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Emissions inventory and modelling related to air quality, greenhouse gasses, and SLCPs
• Direct and indirect estimation of air pollution and SLCPs effects on climate variability and climate change
• Atmospheric research and remote sensing applications related to air quality and climate change
• Climate change impacts, loss and damage, and slow onset and extreme events
• Regional climate downscaling and applications
• Reviews on recent progress in air quality and climate change in low- and middle-income countries.