Clean air policies that can help reduce fossil fuel emissions and combat climate change, the same policies could add up to 5 years to the lifespan of people in the most polluted areas, and an average 2-year increase in lifespan globally Huh.
According to this new report of AQLI, South Asia has embraced the most polluted countries of the earth. The people of Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan inhabited in it, equal to about a quarter of the world’s population, and this country continues to maintain its place in the 5 most polluted countries of the world.
The key point of the report is that if these four South Asian countries comply with the WHO standard levels, then the average life expectancy of the people living here will increase by 5.6 years.
India is listed as the most polluted country in the world – 480 million people live in India’s Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) with air pollution levels “in order of magnitude higher than those found anywhere else in the world” as most affected.
According to the AQLI, the intensity of the estimated impacts is much higher across North India. This is the area where air pollution levels are among the highest in the world. If pollution condensation continues as in 2019, people living in this region, which includes metropolitan cities like Delhi and Kolkata, will lose more than nine years of their lives.
According to the report, if the pollution level remains the same as it was in 2019, then this 40% of the country’s population, which includes residents of mega cities like Delhi and Mumbai, could lose more than 9 years of their lives. Is.
Pollution has now spread beyond the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) to states like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra where people can lose life expectancy of 2.5-2.9 years due to air quality.
Compared to other health risks such as smoking, air pollution reduces life expectancy by up to 1.8 years, unsafe (unsafe/unhygienic) water and sanitation/cleanliness by 1.2 years and alcohol and drug abuse by about one year of life. There is bound to be a loss of life.
The NCAP targets can help increase the national life expectancy to 1.7 years, as against 3.1 years for residents of Delhi.
An alarming sign is that the geographical coverage of high levels of air pollution in India has increased over time. Compared to the last few decades, particulate matter is no longer a problem only in the Indus-Gangetic plains. Pollution levels have increased significantly in states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. For example, in these states, there is an additional reduction of 2.5 to 2.9 years in each person’s life expectancy compared to the beginning of the year 2000.
Ken Lee, director of AQLI, said, “South Asia remains the most affected by air pollution. This is bad news. But the good news is that the governments of countries in the region are now realizing the seriousness of this problem and how to deal with it.” The National Clean Air Program (NCAP) of the Government of India and the setting up of the Air Quality Management Commission in the National Capital Region are important steps towards ensuring clean air and long life.
In South Asia, AQLI data shows that if pollution is reduced to meet WHO guidelines, the average person’s lifespan will increase by more than 5 years. The benefits of clean air policies are even greater in pollution hotspots in regions such as northern India, where 480 million people breathe pollution levels 10 times worse than those found elsewhere in the world.
In Southeast Asia, air pollution is emerging as a major threat in metropolitan cities such as Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta. If pollution levels are controlled to meet WHO guidelines, the average resident in these cities can achieve 2 to 5 years of life expectancy. Also, in Central and West Africa, the effects of particulate pollution on life expectancy are comparable to well-known threats such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, yet receive little attention. For example, in the Niger Delta region, if pollution trends continue, the average resident is on track to lose a life expectancy of about 6 years.
Ken Lee, director of AQLI, says, “Events from last year remind us that air pollution is not a problem that developing countries alone must solve. Fossil-fuel-driven air pollution is a global problem that requires concrete steps on every front.” Policies are needed—including World Climate Negotiators meeting in the coming months. The latest data from AQLI justifies leaders and citizens for solid clean air policies as they live longer.”
According to this data, unless air pollution is reduced globally to meet the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), on average, a person is set to lose 2.2 years from his life. Residents of the world’s most polluted areas can lose 5 years or more of their lives.