Four independent research projects undertaken by researchers in Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao PDR and Thailand, aimed to improve the state of knowledge on air pollution and workers’ exposures in southeast Asia, focusing on both informal and formal labour in certain occupations. To effectively mitigate emissions and reduce the health burden from air pollution exposure requires understanding the factors that impact exposure. A programme focused on understanding these factors, “Air pollution and the world of work in southeast Asia”, ran from 2021 to 2023, with research partners at the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment in Cambodia, University of Health Sciences in Lao PDR, the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, and the Institute of Human Studies in Vietnam.