KATHMANDU: According to a report by the Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) at the University of Chicago, in 2022, a global decrease in pollution was aided by an unexpected improvement in air quality in South Asia. The 18% decrease in PM2.5 levels is probably due to favorable weather, especially above-average rainfall, however, the long-term effects of the policy are still unknown. Life expectancy is greatly impacted by South Asia's exposure to the world's most polluted air, even with this improvement.
There is an average loss of about 3.5 years of life expectancy in South Asian people as a result of air pollution, according to the yearly Air Quality Life Index (AQLI). Eight times worse air quality than the World Health Organization (WHO) deems safe still exists in the region. For these gains in air quality to be maintained and expanded, the report emphasizes the significance of ongoing policy enforcement and monitoring.
Globally, many countries either lack pollution standards or fail to meet them, leading to severe health consequences. The improvement in South Asia led to a nine percent global drop in air pollution, even as other regions, like the Middle East and North Africa, saw significant increases. The report highlights the need for better air quality data and monitoring, particularly in highly polluted regions where the lack of data hampers effective policymaking.
China stands out as a bright spot, having successfully reduced air pollution by 41 percent since 2013 through measures such as restricting cars, reducing heavy industry, and banning new coal plants. This has added an average of two years to the life expectancy of its citizens. However, air pollution in China remains five times higher than WHO guidelines, with benefits unevenly distributed across different regions.
