Air pollution is now a major risk to life expectancy in South Asia: study

NEW DELHI, Aug 29 (Reuters) – Rising air pollution may reduce life expectancy by more than five years per person in South Asia, one of the world’s most polluted regions, according to a report published on Tuesday. signaling the increasing load of dangerous air. in health.

The region, which includes the world’s most polluted countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, accounts for more than half of the total years of life lost globally due to pollution, said the University’s Energy Policy Institute (EPIC). Chicago in its latest Air Quality of Life Index report.

Rapid industrialization and population growth have contributed to declining air quality in South Asia, where particulate pollution levels are now more than 50% higher than at the turn of the century and now dwarf the dangers that pose major threats to health.

People in Bangladesh, the world’s most polluted country, could lose an average of 6.8 years of life per person, compared with 3.6 months in the United States, according to the study, which uses satellite data to calculate the impact of an increase in airborne fines. particles in life expectancy.

India is responsible for around 59% of the increase in global pollution since 2013, according to the report, as dangerous air threatens to further shorten life in some of the country’s most polluted regions. In densely populated New Delhi, the world’s most polluted megacity, average life expectancy has fallen by more than 10 years.

Reduce global levels of lung-damaging airborne particles, known as PM 2.5, to levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) could increase average life expectancy by 2.3 years, or a total of 17.8 billion life years, according to the report.

An average resident of Pakistan would gain 3.9 years if they met the WHO guidelines of limiting the average annual concentration of PM 2.5 to 5 micrograms per cubic meter, while someone in Nepal would live 4.6 years longer if the guidelines were met. guidelines, according to the report.

Meanwhile, China has worked to reduce pollution by 42.3% between 2013 and 2021, according to the report, highlighting the need for governments to generate accessible air quality data to help overcome global inequalities in access. to tools to fight pollution.

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