MOSCOW, July 21 (RIA Novosti) - IBM’s Green Horizon project aimed at reducing air pollution in China will not be effective unless a more comprehensive and holistic approach is adopted, Professor at Tsinghua University and Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said.
“The key to tackling environmental problems is not only monitoring emissions but adopting a comprehensive approach to air quality management and addressing the issues at their roots,” said Dr. Lu Qiang as quoted by the IBM official website.
On July 7, IBM announced the launch of a 10-year "Green Horizon" initiative aimed at solving China’s energy and environmental problems.
"Green Horizon" will use IBM’s cognitive computing, big-data analysis, and the Internet of Things technology to analyze real-time data from air monitoring stations and meteorological satellites. It will also provide Chinese citizens with the information on air quality up to 72 hours in advance.
“It is about how we can help cities improve management based on ‘Big Data’, and better predict (pollution) with accuracy so the government can take proactive action,” said Xiaowei Shen, China director of IBM Research, speaking at IBM's lab in Beijing.
IBM has been China’s partner since 1970’s, providing computing systems to the government and scientific laboratories.
Pollution is a major environmental issue in China. Due to rapid industrialization, pollution levels have increased and caused serious health problems. According to the World Bank report, over 750,000 people in China die prematurely each year because of air and water pollution.
Over the next three years, Beijing will invest more than $160 billion in various projects aimed to improve air quality.
