Rains-Asia: An Assessment Model for Acid Deposition in Asia

Increased energy consumption, generally linked to an improved standard of living in many Asian countries, also presages serious environmental consequences at the local, regional, and global levels. The combustion of fossil fuels like coal emits sulfur and nitrogen oxides, which when oxidized, transported, and deposited form acid rain. The RAINS-ASIA model is an integrated assessment tool designed to study future energy development strategies and their implications for acid rain, and to help policymakers and scientists in Asian countries explore cost-effective abatement strategies. In short, the model allows the user to look ahead and understand what actions could be taken now to prevent future damage. This project is a collaborative effort of several research institutions in Asia, Europe, and North America. The report provides an overview of the model and some results of analyses that have been conducted as part of the RAINS-ASIA program. The model builds on the legacy of its European counterpart to provide a spatially detailed, comprehensive analysis of all stages of the acidification phenomenon: energy demand, supply, and production; emissions; atmospheric transport and deposition of acidifying compounds; and environmental effects of current and predicted levels of acid deposition. Priorities for further refining and updating the model are listed in the final chapter