3rd June 2019
Md. Touhidul Alam Khan

The World Environment Day promotes every year in environmental awareness and sustainability. It highlights the importance of global issues – including climate change, marine pollution and wildlife crime. This year’s global theme focuses on the blight of air pollution. Air pollution is a global public health crisis causing unnecessary early mortality and ill heath at a huge economic cost to society. It also impacts on our natural environment altering habitats. The World Environment Day 2019 is a great opportunity to increase awareness of this – the world’s most pressing environmental issue of the 21st century.

The World Environment Day (WED) will be celebrated on June 05, 2019 and is a day that stimulates awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and public action. June 5 was the day that the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment began in 1972. The first World Environment Day was observed in 1973 and is hosted every year by a different city with a different theme and is commemorated with an international exposition. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) annually organizes events to observe the day, which encourages worldwide awareness and action for the protection of the environment. It is celebrated on 5 June in over 100 countries. This year, China will be the host of the global World Environment Day celebrations on the theme, ‘Air Pollution’.

 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 4.2 million people die prematurely each year as a result of exposure to ambient air pollution and that 92% of the world’s population lives in places where air quality exceeds WHO guidelines. The WHO describes air pollution as “the world’s biggest environmental health risk.”

 

Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, has topped the index of the world’s cities with the worst air quality. In the real-time air quality ranking, Dhaka scored 361, according to AirVisual. The air was classified as “hazardous”. Dhaka was followed by Afghanistan’s Kabul and India’s capital Delhi.

 

Bangladesh, one of the most densely-populated countries in the world, has been struggling with air pollution for a long time; and Dhaka continuously ranks among the world’s most polluted cities. The major sources of pollution, as per the study, are household solid fuels, dust from construction, coal power plants, brick production, transportation and diesel-powered equipment, among others.

 

A study on global air pollution has reported that at least 123,000 people died in Bangladesh in 2017 due to indoor and outdoor air pollution. As per the report, the life of a South Asian child could be shortened, on average, by 30 months as they are growing up in high levels of air pollution. The report also revealed that South Asia is the most polluted area in the world, adding that air pollution worldwide was responsible for more deaths than many better-known risk factors such as malnutrition, alcohol abuse, and physical inactivity. The study also found 3.6 billion people — 47% of the global population — were exposed to household air pollution from the use of solid fuels for cooking in 2017.

 

In 2017, air pollution was the fifth highest mortality risk factor globally and was associated with about 4.9 million deaths and loss of 147 million years of healthy life. In that year, annual PM2.5 exposures were highest in South Asia, with Nepal at 100 μg/m3, India 91μg/m3, Bangladesh 61 μg/m3, and Pakistan 58 μg/m3. Particulate matter (PM) is the sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in air, many of which are hazardous. This complex mixture includes both organic and inorganic particles, such as dust, pollen, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets. The study found that 3.6 billion people (47% of the global population) were exposed to household air pollution from the use of solid fuels for cooking in 2017. These exposures were most common in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and East Asia. According to the report, each year, more people die from air pollution-related diseases than from road traffic injuries or malaria. Air pollution reduces average life expectancy by almost as much as active tobacco smoking does.

 

The report for the first-time mentioned type-2 diabetes as a major health risk of air pollution. In 2017, about 1.5 million people died in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan due to air pollution-related reasons, the study said. It also mentioned that nearly half of the world's population (3.6 billion people) was exposed to household air pollution in 2017.

 

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) declares “to ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources”. In particular, goals 14 and 15 focus on protecting under water and on land ecosystems, as well as on sustainably using marine and terrestrial resources.  

 

The effects of air pollution are alarming. There are many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which have direct and indirect links with air pollution. Children are exposed to air pollutants are said to commonly suffer from pneumonia and asthma. So, it is natural that some people die from air pollution and the life expectancy decreases. Another direct effect is the immediate alterations that the world is witnessing due to global warming. Harmful gases like nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides are released into the atmosphere during the burning of fossil fuels. When it rains, the water droplets combine with these air pollutants, becomes acidic and then falls on the ground in the form of acid rain. Acid rain can cause great damage to human, animals, and crops.

 

Many steps may be taken to reduce air pollution from government and all citizen level. Citizens can take initiative and car pool with friends, colleagues, family wherever possible. It can be encouraged safe travel by bicycles and government can make a plan on separate lane for bicycles.

 

Public can be motivated for greater use of public transport by supporting the public bus and rail services to make it convenient affordably and safely instead of using their own vehicles. Encouraging use of CNG driven vehicles and more fuel efficient four wheelers with better mileage per litre through road tax and sales tax incentives can be given in addition to CNG requirement. Better maintenance of roads, reducing burning of leaves, old tyres or any items in the open can reduce huge volume of air pollution. Installation of solar panels should be encouraged at homes, multi-storey buildings and commercial establishments so that decentralised power is generated with suitable subsidies to make it financially viable for all households. Lastly, awareness should be raised among the all levels of citizens to make them understand about negative impact of air pollution which hampers to build a sustainable nation for our next generation. We have to take initiative to plant plenty of trees which will absorb pollutant gases i.e. nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulphur dioxide, ozone etc and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark. In one year, an acre of mature trees can provide enough oxygen for 18 people. As such, tree plantation and saving trees can help in manifolds reduce air pollution. Mentionable that in Philippines, the people planted voluntarily an incredible 3.2 million seedlings in just one hour recently which is the world record for most trees planted in a short span of time.

 

The World Environment Day 2019 will urge governments, industry, communities, and individuals to come together to explore renewable energy and green technologies, plantation of trees and improve air quality towards breathing fresh in cities and regions across the world.

 

Md. Touhidul Alam Khan;

Deputy Managing Director

Prime Bank Limited.

 He is the fellow member of Institute of Cost & Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) & first Certified Sustainability Reporting Assurer (CSRA) in Bangladesh.

  


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