Air pollution governance in China and India: Comparison and implications

Severe air pollution in China and India threatens the health of over one-third of the global population. When it comes to air pollution governance, the two countries have vastly different approaches. China's approach features centralized target-setting and implementation, with policies enforced primarily through top-down administrative lines. While India's approach reflects the division of power among central and state governments and relies substantially on legislative and judiciary systems for accountability. We conduct a detailed review of the trends and sources of six air pollutants in China and India, and make a structured comparison of China and India's air pollution policy frameworks. An extensive literature review is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of policies in each country. The studies show that China's policy efforts have achieved significant improvements in air quality, while India's policies have been largely ineffective. Nevertheless, both approaches have the potential to lead to effective air pollution governance, if a country can build strong political will and clearly defined accountability systems. We further identify key lessons learned from the two countries for air pollution poli-cymaking in developing countries, including taking good advantage of post-crisis policy window, and targeting low-hanging fruits to make incremental improvements in a cost-effective way.

Automated summary

Severe air pollution in China and India poses a health threat to more than one-third of the global population. China adopts a centralized approach with enforced policies, while India's approach reflects power division and relies on legislative and judiciary systems. Studies show that China's efforts have improved air quality significantly, while India's policies have been largely ineffective. However, both approaches can be effective with strong political will and clear accountability systems. Key lessons for developing countries include taking advantage of post-crisis policy opportunities and targeting cost-effective improvements.