On a warm spring day in Chiang Mai, Thailand, a thick blanket of gray smog covers the city. The surrounding Khun Tan mountains are obscured by a dense haze, and residents are urged to stay indoors. Outside of an unassuming government building on the outskirts of the city, dozens line up for N-95 masks being handed out by civil servants. The air hangs heavy in their lungs and stings their eyes. For those who must venture outdoors, the masks provide a layer of protection.
Inside the building, local officials are strategizing about more holistic ways to address the air pollution crisis. Once a week, a group of 15 to 20 gathers in a large conference room, joined by another 80 or so online, to mount their campaign against the fires that engulf the region every year. They’ve dubbed it the “War Room.”
It’s the headquarters of a provincial effort to combat the pollution crisis using technology, rooted in a novel system of fire management: a mobile application called FireD.
