Dear all, A Memorandum of Agreement was signed this morning by Rachmat Witoelar, Honorable State Minister of the Ministry of Environment; Sultan Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, Governor of the Yogyakarta Special Region represented by Paku Alam IX, Vice Governor of Yogyakarta; Herry Zudianto,  Mayor of Yogyakarta City; and Cornie Huizenga, Head of the Secretariat of the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) to formally launch their joint cooperation in organizing the Better Air Quality (BAQ) 2006 workshop from 13-15 September 2006. Read the official press release: http://www.cleanairnet.org/baq2006/1757/propertyvalue-26756.html BAQ 2006 is is expected to gather over 800 air quality policymakers, expert and scientists worldwide to explore new ways to prevent and reduce air pollution in their respective cities and countries. Details of BAQ 2006 are available on our official website, which was also launched today: http://www.baq2006.org BAQ 2006 Theme -------------- The theme of BAQ 2006 is called a "Celebration of Efforts" to highlight the success stories that Asian countries, cities and communities have achieved over the last years in addressing air pollution while at the same time highlighting the efforts that are still ahead in improving air quality in Asia. The focus of the workshop will be on urban air quality management in Asian cities and will address air pollution from mobile, stationary and area sources. Attention will be given to long range transport of air pollution for its impact on urban air quality. BAQ 2006 will continue the discussions from BAQ 2004 on the linkages between urban air quality management and climate change mitigation and the manner in which these two processes can become mutually reinforcing.   Main Objectives --------------- BAQ 2006 will bring together air quality policymakers, experts, and scientists from Asia and the rest of the world to explore new ways to prevent and reduce air pollution in their respective cities and countries. The workshop will focus on urban air pollution from mobile, stationary and area sources but will also discuss how transboundary air pollution affects air quality in the cities of Asia. BAQ 2006 will assess how climate change mitigation measures and urban air quality can be combined to increase the effectiveness of both approaches.   Best Practices Exhibit ---------------------- BAQ 2006 provides an ideal forum for participants and organizations to share and showcase air quality management success stories from their respective cities and countries. Through exhibits, poster displays and one-on-one interaction, the "Best Practices in Air Quality Management Exhibition" will help cities and communities highlight efforts to control or prevent urban air pollution. CAI-Asia local networks and members will be invited to mount a small exhibit to share their work with the other BAQ 2006 participants. See http://www.cleanairnet.org/baq2006/1757/article-70000.html Call for Abstracts ------------------ The program of BAQ 2006 is still in the development stage, but the BAQ organizing committee welcomes you to provide your inputs. We are now accepting abstracts for inclusion in either the plenary, sub-plenary, sub-workshop, or best practices exhibit. Abstracts can be either technical or policy related. Deadline for submission is on 15 February 2006. For more information, go to http://www.cleanairnet.org/baq2006/1757/propertyvalue-26754.html "Art for Air" (A4A) ------------------- One picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes. And so for the first time in the history of the Better Air Quality workshops, the BAQ organizing committee will be holding an "Art for Air" (A4A) regional art competition. The contest is open to both children and adults, with cash prizes for both categories. The theme of the "Art for Air" competition should be on celebrating the ways we can clean up the air in our cities. Registration is free, and contestants can submit as many entries as they want. Deadline is also on 15 February 2006. For details, go to http://www.cleanairnet.org/baq2006/1757/article-69952.html 1st Governmental Meeting ------------------------ Planning is also ongoing for the organization of the first Asian Governmental Meeting on Urban Air Quality in Asia. This governmental meeting, which is scheduled to be conducted in conjunction with BAQ 2006, will be co-hosted by the Ministry of Environment, the United Nations Environment Program, and CAI-Asia. The objective of the meeting is to support the efforts of Asian governments to arrive at more optimal air pollution abatement strategies. Go to http://www.cleanairnet.org/baq2006/1757/propertyvalue-26755.html for more information. Next steps for interested parties --------------------------------- To receive updates and important announcements about BAQ 2006, please visit our website (http://www.baq2006.org) and submit your name and email address using the subscription form at the lower left corner of the webpage ("Stay informed about BAQ 2006"). For specific inquiries about sponsorship packages and opportunities to join as a supporting organization, contact Cornie Huizenga, chuizenga@adb.org, and Glynda Bathan, gbathan@adb.org. We hope to see you in Yogyakarta. Do join us in our commitment for better air in Asia! Warm Regards, BAQ 2006 Organizing Committee