“Nearly 90 percent of the global population breathes air that fails to meet quality standards, reported Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This polluted air largely affects low and middle-income countries, exceeding WHO guideline limits and causing health hazards.
The latest WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin reveals numerous alarming trends, including prolonged heatwaves and droughts in the first eight months of 2024, which elevate wildfire and pollution risks. Climate change exacerbates these conditions, highlighting the necessity for interdisciplinary research to find solutions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the severe health risks of air pollution, linking it to strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory conditions like asthma. Ambient air pollution accounts for over 4.5 million premature deaths annually, surpassing fatalities from malaria and HIV/AIDS combined, Labrador noted, also influencing climate change.
The UN report shows regional variations in emissions: Europe and China have seen reductions, while North America and India experience increasing pollution from human and industrial activities. This indicates a trend since 2021 towards reducing emissions in the former regions.
Moreover, particulate matter pollution adversely impacts food security, reducing yields of staple crops like maize, rice, and wheat, due to practices such as tillage and stubble-burning. In 2023, wildfires in Canada produced higher emissions than Siberia’s formidable 2021 wildfire season, breaking records over the past two decades.
In recognition of Clean Air for Blue Skies Day on September 7, the WMO called on governments to address air pollution’s health, environmental, and economic costs. Labrador stressed the need for urban areas to acknowledge their air quality issues, as ample data confirms this worldwide problem.
Governments must act to safeguard public health, the environment, and economies from the detrimental impacts of air pollution.”
Original Story https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2024/09/1153976
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