Abstract Urban air quality management (AQM) refers to the activities aimed at reducing air pollution in order to protect human health and the environment in a city. This work presents the formulation of the Urban Air Quality Management Capabilities Index (CECA) and the results of its pilot application in ten Latin American cities. CECA offers a comprehensive and systematic analysis of a city's capacity to formulate and implement air quality management strategies. It is comprised of 31 indicators classed across nine dimensions and three main components (technical capabilities, data capabilities, exploiting capabilities). We defined a specific scoring scale for each indicator. Scores in the scale were determined from surveys administered to local authorities and experts. The pilot application of CECA in Latin America demonstrated that the index provides relevant information on the needs and possibilities for cities to implement primary and rapid actions to reduce air pollution. Within the ten pilot cities, Mexico City and Santiago stand out for leading AQM capabilities. They have integrated technical knowledge into long-term AQM plans and implementation strategies. Consequently, both cities have managed to strengthen their institutions and policies to set effective command and control mechanisms, while proposing incentives for technological improvements. The group of cities with CECA intermediate and low scores evidenced that AQM is starting to emerge in the region. An essential aspect to improve across such cities is the transition to a comprehensive AQM, that goes much further than monitoring. Continuous assessment is needed to improve urban capabilities to address air pollution and to promote interactions among cities in finding solutions. Furthermore, CECA approach encourages cities to prioritize urban AQM, while fosters a comprehensive view and multisector action at local, regional and national scales.

中文翻译：

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更好地了解拉丁美洲的城市空气质量管理能力

摘要 城市空气质量管理（AQM）是指旨在减少空气污染以保护人类健康和城市环境的活动。这项工作介绍了城市空气质量管理能力指数 (CECA) 的制定及其在十个拉丁美洲城市的试点应用结果。CECA 对城市制定和实施空气质量管理战略的能力进行了全面系统的分析。它由 31 个指标组成，分为九个维度和三个主要组成部分（技术能力、数据能力、开发能力）。我们为每个指标定义了特定的评分量表。该量表的分数是根据对地方当局和专家进行的调查确定的。CECA 在拉丁美洲的试点应用表明，该指数提供了有关城市实施主要和快速行动以减少空气污染的需求和可能性的相关信息。在十个试点城市中，墨西哥城和圣地亚哥以领先的 AQM 能力脱颖而出。他们已将技术知识整合到长期 AQM 计划和实施策略中。因此，两个城市都设法加强了机构和政策，以建立有效的指挥和控制机制，同时提出了技术改进的激励措施。CECA 中低分的城市群证明 AQM 开始在该地区出现。改善这些城市的一个重要方面是过渡到全面的 AQM，这比监控更进一步。需要持续评估以提高城市解决空气污染问题的能力，并促进城市之间在寻找解决方案方面的互动。此外，CECA 方法鼓励城市优先考虑城市空气质量管理，同时促进地方、区域和国家层面的综合观点和多部门行动。