ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to present a summary of the principal components of the Air Pollution Program for the Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico, as well as to provide a clear presentation of the Program's philosophy. In March 1996, the Mexican environmental authorities presented a new air pollution program for the Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico. The whole pollution process begins with various users of the air basin of the Valley of Mexico, as they are the ones who most pollute the atmosphere. The elaboration of an air pollutant emissions inventory is a strategic instrument for the management of the air basin. It reflects the intensity of use of the air basin capacity by the different sectors. The development of a detailed, precise, and updated emissions inventory is a complex task that demands a systematic integration of information from several sources, with the active participation of federal and local authorities.
