Air pollution has emerged as a serious global challenge in recent years, with concentrations of particulate matter (PM₂.₅, PM₁₀), nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other pollutants rising abruptly due to rapid industrialization, increased transport emissions, household fuel use, and fossil fuel–based energy production. This environmental crisis contributes to approximately seven million premature deaths annually, disproportionately affecting children, the elderly, and low-income communities, while also weakening chronic respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological conditions.

In response, countries worldwide have developed legal and regulatory frameworks to reduce air pollution, ranging from international agreements such as the UNECE Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Convention and WHO air quality guidelines to binding national laws, including the EU Ambient Air Quality Directives, the U.S. Clean Air Act, and evolving South Asian policies targeting industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, and urban air quality. Despite these measures, enforcement remains uneven, and challenges persist in transboundary coordination and implementation.