Air particles can travel hundreds of kilometres, crossing municipal, state and national boundaries, rendering regional mitigation efforts moot.
These particles can travel hundreds of kilometres, crossing municipal, state, and even national boundaries. For example, about 30% of air pollution in the Indian state of Punjab comes from neighbouring Pakistan. Further east, an estimated 30% of pollution in Bangladesh’s largest cities originates in India, given the predominant wind direction from the northwest to the southeast. This makes it hard to track the source of particulates and manage air quality using the city-by-city approach prevalent today across South Asia.
The World Bank’s new study, “Striving for Clean Air: Air Pollution and Public Health in South Asia”, attempts to clear the air on South Asia’s nemesis. The study finds that since air pollution travels long distances and gets trapped in large airsheds – a common geographic area where pollutants are confined, creating similar air quality for everyone – it is only through cooperation at the province, state, and regional levels that South Asia can hope to beat air pollution.
07/02/2023