Kathmandu Valley’s population grew by 44 percent in the last decade and during the same period, the number of vehicles doubled and the number of registered brick kilns tripled. As the result of this growth, ambient air quality of Kathmandu is deteriorating. The World Health Organization air quality guidelines for Total Suspended Particle and PM10 are often exceeded pointing to a serious particulate pollution. Impacts of particulate pollution result in 84 excess deaths and 475,298 restricted activities days every year. The monetary value attached to these impacts totaled 4 million US$. The brick industry, Himal Cement Plant, domestic fuel combustion, resuspension of road dust and vehicle emissions is the main sources of particulate pollution. Among these sources, reducing vehicle emission is the most cost-effective strategy. This thesis proposes a radio program targeted at the taxi drivers and taxi owners of Kathmandu Valley to change their vehicle maintenance behavior in order to reduce particulate pollution, thus reducing the adverse health affects of particulate pollution.
