Krishna Santos, a PhD student from the University of the Philippines – Diliman, Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (UP IESM), laboratory member of the Environmental Pollution Studies Laboratory (EPSL), and research staff under the UP Center for Air Research in Urban Environments (UP CARE), represented UP Diliman and the Philippines at the 2025 CMAS–IAUPPA International Conference, held from July 1 to 4, 2025 at Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea.

Organized by the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), Republic of Korea, and co-organized by the Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment (KOSAE), CMAS Center (USA), International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations (IUAPPA), Northeastern University (USA), and the PM Specialized Graduate Program (Republic of Korea), the conference brought together international experts in air quality modeling, atmospheric science, and environmental policy.

As the sole delegate from the Philippines, Krishna participated in the following:

1. Oral Presentation – “Characterizing the Transport and Meteorological Factors Leading to the 2019 Southeast Asian Transboundary Haze in the Southern Philippines,” based on their MS thesis, which examined the meteorological drivers and pollutant transport pathways of a major regional haze episode.
2. Poster Presentation – “Assessing Indoor Air Quality in University Workspaces: CO₂ Concentrations, Sensor Comparisons, and the Need for Regulatory Standards in the Philippines,” a collaborative study under UP CARE and EPSL, emphasizing the importance of CO2 measurement in indoor spaces.
3. Technical Training – Attended a hands-on training session on Sparse Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions (SMOKE) and the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system, gaining further expertise in atmospheric emissions processing and regional-scale air quality simulations.

More about the event: https://www.cmas-asia-pacific-2025.org/index.asp