1. 3rd Thematic Seminar of Kitakyushu Initiative for a Clean Environment: Urban Air Quality Management
Hidefumi Imura
Professor, Nagoya University
Director, IGES Kitakyushu Office

2. What is the Kitakyushu Initiative?
Priority implementation mechanism for the ESCAP Regional Action Programme , with specific focus on environmental quality and human health in urban areas.
WSSD type I activity adopted in August 2002
Achieve measurable progress through local initiatives targeting control of air and water pollution, and minimization of all kinds of wastes, through selected technical, institutional, regulatory and participatory measures.

3. Local Environmental Governance
How to build the capacity of environmental management at local level.
Institutional base---Laws, regulations, implementation tools and mechanisms
Human resource base
Technological base
Financial base
Information base
Partnerships
International environmental cooperation

4. Kitakyushu Initiative
Promote local level activities
Monitoring improvement through quantitative indicators and targets
Adoption of replication approach
Strengthening local initiatives, participation, partnerships
Sharing of best practices
Dissemination of technology, know-how, and information through the Kitakyushu Initiative Network
Extract/combine replicable elements
Create menu of effective transferable actions using
cooperation of national governments, donor community,
academic community, international initiatives

5. Function of Kitakyushu Initiative Network
Assistance in preparing and implementing integrated and sustainable urban development plans and strategies
Periodical monitoring of implementation status
Promotion of information exchange and sharing of experiences among participating local governments
Provision of platform for the transfer of technology and know-how packages, good practices and a successful municipal model for sustainable development

6. Function of Kitakyushu Initiative Network
Linking, catalysation and facilitation of internal and external financial support to international cooperation initiatives of local authorities
Facilitation of capacity building activities for environmental administration staff in participating local governments
Promotion of environmental education programmes
Encouragement of private enterprises to participate in infrastructure development and environmental quality enhancement programmes

7. Some of the activities of the Kitakyushu Initiative
Information/experiences collection and dissemination
Network formation
Promoting inter-city co-operation
Action based activities …… and others
Identified Means
Collection and analysis of successful experiences
Fact finding studies, Diagnostic studies
Pilot activities
Other future activities - further discussions necessary
Kitakyushu Initiative is unique, it is unique in the sense that, it is a
commitment made by 38 national governments of Asia Pacific for improving
urban environment, it is unique because it aims to promote inter-city
cooperation with the assistance from international communities. It is unique
because, it aims to collect successful experiences from cities, analyze them
and seek to replicate successful elements into other cities with international
support. It is unique for seeking concrete achievement of its activities,
which requires to be measurable or quantifiable. This is a platform for learning
and realizing that learning into the action..
The identified mean to achieve those goal are:
Other aspects of the KI are already explained by the speakers before me.
So let me directly go to “pilot activities”.

8. What are pilot activities?
Pilot studies
To study the problem for suggesting best action
Use of relevant quantitative indicators
Pilot projects
On site actions, demonstration projects
Improvement to be demonstrated by quantitative indicators
Other future activities
Pilot study
Pilot project
Future activities

9. Important elements in pilot activities
Identifying the key problems
Pilot study
In-depth study of the key problems for
generating ideas for policy formulation and/or practical actions
Quantitative indicators
Learning from the successful experiences of other cities
Formulation of the action program
The schematic flow of the pilot activities is shown in the figure here.
Pilot study
Pilot project
Collection and the analysis of the successful experiences of the city
could be an ongoing activity. The successful elements that are
identified in the process would be useful to the pilot activities. For pilot
studies successful practices may help to find the different ways to solve
the problems and to determine the right action. For pilot projects, it may
assist by suggesting the successful implementation process and by
encouraging to replicated those process in the pilot projects, after taking
local conditions into account.
The use of the quantitative indicator are encourages at every step.
Particularly, in the target formulation and evaluating the achievements.
Pilot project
Implementation of the action program
Monitoring, and evaluation of achievements
Dissemination of successful elements of program

10. Inter-linkages in pilot activities
Could stop providing policy feedback
Pilot projects
Pilot studies
Expanded projects
Pilot activity
Pilot activity
Pilot activity
Successful/unsuccessful practices, lessons learned
Other successful practices
Analysis of successful practices/elements
Replication of practices/elements

11. Thematic Seminar Focus on ONE theme Forum of cities to discuss freely
Understand problems of each cities
Exchange experiences and information
( not only technical but also political, know-how)
Regulate important elements of successful practices
Discuss concrete measures