Air pollution is now the number one environmental health concern in the world, claiming 7,000,000 lives every year. Bad indoor environments are also a result of heating homes with coal, biomass, or other fossil fuels. Some 2.6 billion people are also at risk from severe health problems. This amounts to $8 billion in economic losses as a result of illness and death due to asthma attacks, as well as the cost of required cancer treatments.
It is a major environmental health problem that affects everyone in developed and developing countries. High levels of pollution have been caused by industrialization, overpopulation, and urbanization. World Air Quality Report recently revealed how dangerous high levels of air pollution can be. Approximately 3 to 4% global gross domestic product is used to fix problems related to inhaling toxic fumes every day, with no relief coming soon enough. According to the report, 35 Indian towns had the worst quality air in 2021. Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, and Bhiwadi were the top two. The list also included 14 cities from Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow and Ghaziabad as well as Kanpur, Meerut. These levels were over 10-15 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 limit at 0-5 grams/m3.
The main causes of climate change are the greenhouse gases produced by coal power stations, inefficient transportation methods and the combustion of domestic fuels. Traditional cremations and garbage burning have also been shown to release toxic chemicals into the environment when they are not monitored.
The media attention has been focused on the role of air pollution in causing illness. Particles of smaller diameters can enter your respiratory system and cause a variety of health problems, including cancer.
Climate change, as a result of environmental pollution, can have an impact on the geographical distribution of virulent diseases. The best way forward is to raise public awareness and use multipronged approaches driven by scientists. National and international organizations fighting air pollution and climate change If they want this problem to be solved quickly enough, they must focus on long-term solutions. India needs to be proactive and enforce the rules to reduce emissions. However, it is past time for the private sector to invest in remedial measures, led by large companies.
There are many interventions that can be taken to reduce pollution, including the implementation sustainable transportation in cities and solid trash management. Access to clean household fuels and making housing more sustainable are two ways to help manage a cleaner environment. We need to explore newer, cutting-edge technologies to address the problem. These include vehicles, diesel Gensets, and other industrial emissions. These new technologies must be more sustainable than traditional filter and water-based solutions, which have been in use for decades.
Innovation is key to progress. Solutions like these show how creative we must be when looking after our environment in the future.
According to WHO, nearly 99% of the world’s population inhale unhealthy air according to a recent survey. It is clear that air pollution has a significant negative impact on the environment and the health of citizens. Industry leaders and society should pay attention to this issue and take proactive steps to improve the situation.
Disclaimer
The views expressed above are those of the author.
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