Facilitating International Cooperation on Air Pollution in East Asia: Fragmentation of the Epistemic Communities
| Date | 01 November 2018 |
| Published date | 01 November 2018 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12623 |
| Author | Masaru Yarime,Aitong Li |
Facilitating International Cooperation on Air
Pollution in East Asia: Fragmentation of the
Epistemic Communities
Masaru Yarime
Division of Public Policy, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and
Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy, University College
London, United Kingdom, and
Graduate School of Public Policy, The University of Tokyo
Aitong Li
Department of Geography and Resource Management, Chinese University of Hong Kong,
Hong Kong
Abstract
To tackle transboundary air pollution in East Asia, international schemes for environmental cooperation have been introduced,
including the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET), Long-Range Transboundary Pollution of China, Japan
and Korea (LTP), and the North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC). These programs,
however, have not been successful in establishing robust regimes for effectively reducing transboundary air pollution in the
region. This paper aims to examine the process of forming epistemic communities through these programs in East Asia. A bib-
liometric data on the scientific articles and reports produced were analyzed to examine the network structure of the scientific
activities through EANET. The fragmentation of expert groups within EANET and among the major international schemes on
air pollution in East Asia contributed to discouraging solid formation of an epistemic community covering air pollution com-
prehensively in the region. That makes it difficult to reach a consensus based on the current state of scientific knowledge on
air pollution for providing effective advice and recommendations for the development of policies and regulations.
As countries in East Asia experienced rapid economic
growth, first in Japan, followed by South Korea, and more
recently in China, air pollution has become a serious prob-
lem in this region. Atmospheric pollutants go beyond
national borders and affect the health conditions of the
population of other countries. Cooperation among Japan,
China and South Korea has been implemented since the
early 1990s, and there has been some progress in establish-
ing cooperative schemes for scientific activities, notably the
Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET),
Long-Range Transboundary Pollution of China, Japan and
Korea (LTP), and the North-East Asian Subregional Pro-
gramme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC). These
programs, however, have not contributed to establishing
effective international regimes to tackle transboundary air
pollution across East Asia.
This paper aims to investigate why the institutional
arrangements established for scientific cooperation among
the relevant countries in East Asia have not functioned
effectively to create robust international regimes for reduc-
ing transboundary air pollution. We look at the case of the
Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution
(CLRTAP) in Europe and examine the case of EANET in East
Asia, particularly paying attention to the formation of epis-
temic communities based on scientific knowledge and
expertise for providing recommendations for policy making.
A bibliometric data on the scientific articles and reports pro-
duced were analyzed to examine the network structure of
the scientific activities involved in EANET. It is argued that
the fragmentation of epistemic communities on air pollution
in East Asia has contributed to producing effective scientific
advices for establishing solid international regimes for effec-
tively tackling air pollution in the region.
The role of the epistemic community in
international cooperation for addressing air
pollution
Regional environmental problems are considered to be
international public goods, which involve significant prob-
lems of collective action (Haas, 2016). As global public
goods are concerned, it is normally very difficult to
Global Policy (2018) 9:Suppl.3 doi: 10.1111/1758-5899.12623 ©2018 University of Durham and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Global Policy Volume 9 . Supplement 3 . November 2018 35
Special Issue Article
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