THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025 11 Losing Real-Time Air Quality Data It’s not often that you get to witness, let alone be part of, government work that delivers immediate, tangible, and global impact. Many federal policies take years to implement and yield measurable results. But the State Department’s air quality monitoring network was a rare exception. From the moment the department deployed its first reference grade monitor in Beijing in 2008, it drastically reshaped the global conversation around air quality transparency and mitigation. I had the privilege of supporting the department’s air monitoring efforts from 2019 to 2025. At that time, the network had become a widely renowned, trusted global resource that included 80-plus reference grade monitors, spanned dozens of countries, and produced publicly available data in many places where no other reliable monitoring existed. Considering more than 80 percent of embassies and consulates are in areas with air quality that exceeds WHO standards, these monitors provided lifelines for U.S. personnel and their families abroad. Every day, this realtime data informed basic but critical decisions: Should children play outside today, should the Marines shift training indoors, is this post a healthy place to raise a family, or does hardship pay need to be considered or adjusted for personnel serving here? On a global scale, this data availability and transparency even extended beyond the embassy walls. In countries lacking air quality monitoring infrastructure, the data generated by U.S. monitors equipped local communities, researchers, and governments to advocate for cleaner air and to demand meaningful policy change. Yet today, this system of accountability and protection is at risk. The loss of this network is more than the loss of data. It’s the silencing of one of the most trusted and consistent voices in global air quality transparency. It’s a retreat from environmental diplomacy at a time when global climate challenges require more visibility, not less. This program proved that governments can do the right thing quickly, with global impact. Bringing back this program is not just possible, it’s necessary. The technical infrastructure already exists, and the data has already proved its value. What’s needed now is the institutional will to reinvest in this program, recommit to data transparency, and protect the health of our people. Mary Tran Monitoring and Evaluation Senior Specialist University of Chicago–EPIC Boston, Massachusetts n Share your thoughts about this month’s issue. Submit letters to the editor: journal@afsa.org
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