This report is the synthesis of the key findings and recommendations of the studies carried out under the World Bank’s Ethiopia AQM ASA program. The rest of the report is organized as follows. Chapter two is an overview of air pollution issues, including air pollutants and impacts, the concept of …
COVID-19 lockdowns brought rapid and “unprecedented” improvements in air quality in some parts of the world - but not enough to halt climate change caused by global warming said the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)'s Air Quality and Climate Bulletin The COVID-19 lockdown and travel restrictions led to a dramatic short-lived …
Global studies of the health impacts of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) have been based on particle mass, but there is evolving evidence indicating that adverse health effects can vary depending on the source and composition of PM2.5. This complicates the equitoxicity assumption commonly made regarding particle air pollution while raising …
This review of the epidemiological literature on fugitive dust indicates the likelihood of significant public health impacts from both short- and long-term exposure to both fine and coarse dust. These impacts are observed in populations that are both near to and distant from the original dust sources. However, given the …
The average Indonesian can expect to lose 2.5 years of life expectancy at current pollution levels, according to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), because air quality fails to meet the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline for concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The pollution index shows that the health …
Early responses to the Covid-19 pandemic led to dramatic reductions in air pollutant concentrations in many locations worldwide. Research has suggested that significant health benefits could be realised if these air pollution reductions remain in the long-term after government restrictions are relaxed. In this report, investigate nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution …
The study intends to support the Delhi government, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) in identifying priority areas of interventions needed in controlling air pollution in Delhi during the winter season of 2021. It establishes the primary drivers of Delhi's winter air pollution …
This report reviews the cooperation between three Northeast Asian countries: China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, and assesses which aspects of the regional collaboration from Europe and North America can be transferred to this part of Asia. The report will serve to advise governments, intergovernmental agencies and others on …
The aim of this report is to estimate the impact of air pollution on health in contemporary Accra, Ghana. Accra is a city that has experienced rapid growth in the last decades. According to the last available census, in 2010, the total population of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) …
Twenty-two of the world’s 30 most polluted cities are in India, with Delhi being ranked as the most polluted capital city globally, a new report said . The report is prepared by Swiss organisation, IQAir, in the form of the ‘World Air Quality Report, 2020’, which has released globally. The …
PM2.5 air pollution was behind approximately 160,000 deaths in the world’s five most populous cities in 2020, according to a Greenpeace Southeast Asia analysis of IQAir data from a live Cost Estimator. While some cities saw small improvements in air quality as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns, the devastating impact …
This study investigates the causal effects of long-term particulate matter 2.5 exposure on COVID-19 deaths, fatality rates, and cases in India by using an instrumental variables approach based on thermal inversion episodes. The estimation results indicate that a 1 percent increase in long-term exposure to particulate matter 2.5 leads to …
Real policy is not defensive short-term emergency measures but something proactive spanning multiple years, and acting fast, local and through multiple agencies. Every Diwali, a billion people in India wake up to the news of smog-ridden cities in the aftermath of celebratory fireworks. And much like the hangover after a …
Many cities and urban centers around the world experience high air pollution episodes attributable to increased anthropogenic alterations of natural environmental systems. World Health Organization estimates indicate strong exceedances of prescribed limits in developing countries. However, the evidence on local pollution measures is limited for such cities and Uganda is …
Maternal exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM2·5) is associated with pregnancy loss (ie, stillbirth and miscarriage). South Asia has the highest burden of pregnancy loss globally and is one of the most PM2·5 polluted regions in the world. However, knowledge of the relevant exposure–response function for mothers is insufficient. Original …
Non-exhaust emissions of particulate matter constitute a little-known but rising share of emissions from road traffic and have significant negative impacts on public health. This report synthesizes the current state of knowledge about the nature, causes, and consequences of non-exhaust particulate emissions. It also projects how particulate matter emissions from …
Better air quality has led to a significant reduction of premature deaths over the past decade in Europe. However, the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) latest official data show that almost all Europeans still suffer from air pollution, leading to about 400,000 premature deaths across the continent. The Air quality in …
Air pollution presents an increasingly apparent challenge to health and development across the globe. Exposure to PM2.5 is a major health risk and worldwide, an estimated 4.13-5.39 million people died prematurely in 2017 from exposure to PM2.5 pollution. The health impacts of pollution also represent a heavy cost to the …
This paper examines the relationship between contemporaneous exposure to fine particulate matter and COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Harnessing daily changes in county-level wind direction (within the United States), they show that fluctuations in local air quality can almost immediately impact the rate of confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19.
The World Health Organization attributes about 3.3 million annual premature deaths to outdoor air pollution in low- and middle-income countries. Comprehensive pollution monitoring in urban areas has been too costly for many developing countries; yet sparse information has hindered cost-effective pollution management strategies. Global information technologies offer a potential escape …
