Daily Dose of Air Pollution: Pollution Impacts

Outdoor air pollution could cause 6 to 9 million premature deaths a year by 2060 and cost 1% of global GDP – around USD 2.6 trillion annually – as a result of sick days, medical bills and reduced agricultural output, unless action is taken, according to a new OECD report.

The Economic Consequences of Air Pollution finds the consequent reduction in global economic output by 2060 will equate to around USD 330 per person, as annual healthcare costs related to air pollution rise to USD 176 billion from USD 21 billion in 2015 and the number of work days lost to air pollution-related illness jumps to 3.7 billion from 1.2 billion.

“The number of lives cut short by air pollution is already terrible and the potential rise in the next few decades is terrifying. If this is not motivation enough to act, this report shows there will also be a heavy economic cost to not taking action,” said OECD Environment Director Simon Upton, presenting the report at the 8thEnvironment for Europe Ministerial Conference in Batumi, Georgia. “We must prevent these projections from becoming reality.”

Outdoor air pollution caused more than 3 million premature deaths in 2010, with elderly people and children most vulnerable. The OECD projections imply a doubling, or even tripling, of premature deaths from dirty air – or one premature death every four or five seconds – by 2060.

The biggest rises in mortality rates from air pollution are forecast in India, China, Korea and Central Asian countries like Uzbekistan, where rising populations and congested cities mean more people are exposed to power plant emissions and traffic exhaust. Premature death rates are forecast to be up to three times higher in 2060 than in 2010 in China and up to four times higher in India. Death rates are seen stabilising in the United States and falling in much of Western Europe thanks in part to efforts to move to cleaner energy and transport.

Projected GDP losses will be biggest in China, Russia, India, Korea and countries in Eastern Europe and the Caspian region, as health costs and lower labour productivity hit output. Poor air quality will hit China’s economy harder than India’s because differences in household savings rates and demographics mean the knock-on effects of lower productivity and increased health spending on the rest of the Chinese economy will be much larger.

A reduction in crop yields as a result of dirty air will weigh on most countries’ economies. Exceptions will include Brazil, Russia and some Latin American countries where agricultural land is set to be less affected, meaning improved export competitiveness and thus economic gains.

The report also examines the negative impact of outdoor air pollution in terms of the price people would be willing to pay each year to not have their health impaired or their lives cut short by it. This hypothetical annual value of air pollution is seen rising from less than USD 500 per person in 2015 to as much as USD 2,800 in 2060.

Press release

Read the report

Summary Brochure

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Air Pollution in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar is the among top 10 cities with the worst air quality in the world, primarily due to the household coal and wood burning for cooking and heating. Scroll down for latest news on air quality and management in Ulaanbaatar.

Top 100 Cities with the Worst Air Quality in the World (WHO, 2011)

Top 100 Cities with the Worst Air Quality in the World (WHO, 2014)

Journal article published in Air Quality, Atmosphere, and Health - "Particulate Pollution in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia" in May, 2013

Estimated 4,000,000 Deaths from Household Cooking Smoke - A Note from Dr. Kirk Smith

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Ulaanbaatar (Ulaan Baatar / Ulan Bator) is located at ~1300 meters above sea level, is the coldest national capital (image above is from Google Earth) in the world, with an average annual temperature of -1.3°C (29.7°F). Given the long winters, the coal combustion for cooking and heating is prevalent and a leading cause of air pollution - outdoor and indoor. In a recent report by WHO, Ulaanbaatar is ranked in the top 10 cities with world's worst air quality. This page presents the current know-how and links to articles published on air pollution in Ulaanbaatar.

An Emissions Inventory of Air Pollutants in Ulaanbaatar

An analysis was conducted in 2007, which presents an overview of the air pollution sources and possible ways to control emissions from various sectors. The picture to the right presents the current growth in the vehicular fleet in Ulaanbaatar, which since 2007 has doubled, especially in the passenger vehicles category.

The Report Structure

Air quality in Ulaanbaatar
Nature of the problem and the emission sources
An emissions Inventory for criteria pollutants
Results from the dispersion modeling over the city limits and linked health impacts
How to control air pollution in Ulaanbaatar -a list of possible interventions for various sectors
Future (2010/2020) Scenario analysis

Full Report is available @ www.urbanemissions.info
Abridged version is available @ SIM Working Paper Series 05-2008

Also see

In News: Air Quality in Ulaanbaatar (and Mongolia)

UB Post, July 7th, 2014
Air pollution in Ulaanbaatar believed to increase the risk of miscarriage.

UB Post, June 26th, 2014
45,000 improved stoves to find homes this fall.

UB Post, June 13th, 2014
Committee for Reducing Air Pollution cracks down on air polluters.

UB Post, May 9th, 2014
New thermal power plants and improvements in soums.

Science Daily, April 23rd, 2014
Pollutants from coal-burning stoves strongly associated with miscarriages in Mongolia.

UB Post, January 16th, 2014
Sharyn Gol mine to produce clean fuel briquettes for Mongolians.

UB Post, January 7th, 2014
Clean stove project concludes.

UB Post, January 3rd, 2014
Ulaanbaatar welcomes a warm and clear new year.

UB Post, November 19th, 2013
Luxury apartment sales increases in Ulaanbaatar.

UB Post, November 19th, 2013
Mayor promotes electric cars to reduce air pollution.

UB Post, October 8th, 2013
Poison air pollutes the city.

UB Post, October 1st, 2013
UB and JICA launch second phase of air pollution control project.

UB Post, September 15th, 2013
Citizens of the city facing lung damage.

Mongolia News, June 12th, 2013
Modun Resources wins preferred coal briquettes supplier to Mongolian Govt.

UB Post, April 30th, 2013
Inspections measure car exhaust emissions.

Huffington Post, December 12th, 2012
Postcards From the Second Most Air Polluted City in the World.

TUNZA Eco Generation, November 27th, 2012
Face to air pollution of Ulaanbaatar.

Mongolia News, November 25th, 2012
Air Pollution Killing Ulaanbaatar's Residents.

Mongolia News, November 16th, 2012
Philippine company makes air-cleansing device in Ulaanbaatar.

UB Post, November 9th, 2012
Another Winter Looms and So Does the Smog.

UB Post, November 9th, 2012
National Committee for Reducing Air Pollution Convenes.

UB Post, October 13th, 2012
Ways to Improve Air Quality in Ulaanbaatar.

UB Post, September 28th, 2012
D. Amgalanbaatar: Drinking and air pollution are changing Mongolian genes.

Millennium Challenge Corporation, August 20th, 2012
How stoves and land empower women in Mongolia.

DoE Pulse, June 18th, 2012
Berkeley Lab scientists tackle air pollution in Mongolia.

Mongolia News, June 18th, 2012
MPs initiates a Special Tax law on coal export.

Mongolia News, June 18th, 2012
Mongolian Engineers Invent Duobuses of New Model.

Info Mongolia, June 15th, 2012
Reducing Air Pollution in Ulaanbaatar.

China Daily, June 15th, 2012
Mongolia seeks int'l cooperation to improve air quality in capital city.

UB Post, June 14th, 2012
Drivers who do not pay taxes will be fined.

Business Council of Mongolia, May 7th, 2012
Curbing Air Pollution in Ulaanbaatar.

Info Mongolia, April 28th, 2012
Proposal to Reduce Air Pollution in Mongolia was Introduced in Washington DC.

Market Watch, April 26th, 2012
Citi to Purchase 1.17 Million Tonnes of Carbon Credits in Innovative Microfinance Deal with MicroEnergy Credits and Mongolia's XacBank.

US Embassy, Mongolia, April 19th, 2012
Mongolians Can Breathe Easier This Earth Day.

Info Mongolia, March 25th, 2012
Mongolian capital city hopes to improve transportation with huge investment.

UB Post, April 2nd, 2012
As the smoke settles, dust rises.

UB Post, April 2nd, 2012
Mongolia Turns Eco-Friendly in 2012.

UB Post, March 11th, 2012
Married me, without me - False Promises on Air Pollution Control.

Info Mongolia, March 11th, 2012
Owners of car will pay fee in Ulaanbaatar.

UB Post, March 5th, 2012
Responsibility for litter lays with unconcerned citizens.

Mongolia News, February 13th, 2012
50,000 households using low-smoke stoves.

UB Post, February 1st, 2012
Radiative cooling causes mist in Ulaanbaatar.

UB Post, January 26th, 2012
The future of renewable energy in Mongolia.

Mongolia News, January 26th, 2012
Lawyers blame Government for air pollution.

WWF Mongolia, January 23rd, 2012
A year to fight against air pollution and environmental degradation.

Info Mongolia, January 13th, 2012
Air pollution fees from the motor vehicles has been started to collect in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

UB Post, January 8th, 2012
Waste not the Waste.

Daily Times, December 18th, 2011
Air pollution responsible for 22,000 deaths annually in Pakistan.

Mongolia News, December 26th, 2011
612 new taxis in Ulaanbaatar in 2011.

UB Post, December 24th, 2011
Ulaanbaatar's Air Pollution - Threat to Health.

Mongolia News, December 23rd, 2011
WHO report on the air pollution of Ulaanbaatar.

The World Bank, December 22nd, 2011
Study Identifies Best Options to Improve Air Quality and Thus Reduce Health Impacts in Ulaanbaatar, the Most Polluted City in the World in Wintertime.

The World Bank, December 21st, 2011
Air quality analysis of Ulaanbaatar : improving air quality to reduce health impacts.

Mongolia News, December 15th, 2011
Ulaanbaatar's Mayor meets with prominent American lawyer.

Mongolia News, December 15th, 2011
Mongolia focuses on bag filters to reduce air pollution.

Mongolia News, December 14th, 2011
MNT 34 billion in anti-pollution money goes unspent.

Voice of Mongolia, December 5th, 2011
The South Korean government will grant USD 300 million loan for Mongolia’s health sector and air pollution reduction projects.

Info Mongolia, December 2nd, 2011
The work plan for air pollution reduction was ratified in Mongolia.

China Daily, November 30th, 2011
Mongolian government approves new measures to combat air pollution.

Mongolia News, November 30th, 2011
Working plan on air pollution approved.

UB Post, November 29th, 2011
Ulaanbaatar and London.

Mongolia News, November 18th, 2011
National Committee reports on anti-pollution efforts.

Mongolia News, November 2nd, 2011
Do Not Pollute Air and Get Discount.

Info Mongolia, November 2nd, 2011
The Incentive Policy for Reducing the Air Pollution in Mongolia.

Mongolian Economy and Finance, November 2nd, 2011
Standing committee discusses air pollution.

Mongolia News, October 30th, 2011
New Buses to Serve Public Transport in Ulaanbaatar.

Info Mongolia, October 21st, 2011
People of Buriyatia to reduce air pollution in Ulaanbaatar.

World Bank, October 18th, 2011
Mongolia - Ulaanbaatar Clean Air Project : safeguards report.

The Reuters, October 17th, 2011
Mongolia's capital tries to shed its smog.

Mongolia Solutions, August 18th, 2011
Eco-friendly ger heaters before winter in Mongolia.

UB Post, August 12th, 2011
Ulaanbaatar's Fumes to Decrease by 30%.

Info Mongolia, July 22nd, 2011
Smog Inspectors in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Mongolian Economy, July 4th, 2011
UB: How long before levels of air pollution be acceptable?

2point6billion.com, May 30th, 2011
A Tale of Two Mongolias.

Mongolia News, May 7th, 2011
Air Pollution Matters in Mongolia.

Mongolia News, May 5th, 2011
Anti-air pollution work in Mongolia.

UB Post, April 26th, 2011
The Chairman of the Dept. of Construction Discusses the 100,000 Apartment Project.

MAD Mongolia, April 24th, 2011
Mongolian Government maintains that apartment prices will decrease.

UB Post, April 5th, 2011
The President sets up a committee to fight pollution.

UB Post, March 22nd, 2011
Ulaanbaatar Air Pollution Linked to Public Health Crisis.

Mongolia Corporate Services, March 10th, 2011
National Committee set up to oversee air pollution reduction programs.

Eurasia Net, February 28th, 2011
Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar Air Pollution Linked to Public Health Crisis.

Mongolia Web, February 18th, 2011
People in special zones to pay less for electricity at night.

UB Post, February 18th, 2011
Anti Air Pollution Campaign to Launch in March.

Mongolia Corporate Services, February 16th, 2011
New law seeks to make Ulaanbaatar smoke free in 2014.

The Mongolian News, February 15th, 2011
S. Lodoisamba: Coal gas should be introduced to ger area as soon as possible.

UB Post, February 15th, 2011
No Mineral Exploration License Issuance Till April 30.

The office of the President of Mongolia, Public Relations & Communications Division, February 15th, 2011
Actions to Reduce Air Pollution to Begin in March.

UB Post, February 11th, 2011
Mere Cash for Cashmere.

UB Post, February 8th, 2011
Coal Stoves Coat Mongolian Capital in Smog.

France 24, February 6th, 2011
Coal stoves coat Mongolian capital in smog.

MAD Corporate Services, February 1st, 2011
MPP'S Faction Discusses Air Pollution in Mongolia.

MAD Corporate Services, February 1st, 2011
Raw coal is banned to burn in Mongolian ger districts.

The Guardian, January 28th, 2011
Why Genghis Khan was good for the planet.

UB Post, January 25th, 2011
Mongolia to Start Uranium Exploration by 2012.

UB Post, January 21st, 2011
Why a Mongolian Economic Forum?

UB Post, January 18th, 2011
President Elbegdorj Worries About City Pollution.

Mongolian Views, January 16th, 2011
President demands action to reduce UB air pollution.

UB Post, January 14th, 2011
Risks on the Road.

UB Post, January 7th, 2011
Mongolia in 2020.

UB Post, January 6th, 2011
The Mongolian “Katrina”.

UB Post, December 21st, 2010
Electricity Price To Raise in Five Phases Until 2014.

UB Post, December 3rd, 2010
“Travelers”.

UB Post, October 15th, 2010
Mongolia Chosen As Pilot Nation.

UB Post, September 24th, 2010
Take on Your Gas Mask.

UB Post, August 17th, 2010
MCA To Assist Fight with Air Pollution in UB City.

UB Post, July 27th, 2010
Interview with the NEA official G.Bayasgalan.

World Bank, April 23rd, 2010
Ulaanbaatar's Air Pollution Crisis.

Eurasia Net, March 22nd, 2010
Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar Grapples with Smog Problem.

UB Post, February 26th, 2010
Air Quality in Ulaanbaatar.

UB Post, December 15th, 2009
Mongolia’s Used Car Market on Recovery.

UB Post, November 17th, 2009
Mongolia Turns Eco-Friendly in 2012.

Ulaanbaatar Post, September 22nd, 2009
New Master Plan on Nature and Environment.

Ulaanbaatar Post, September 18th, 2009
City Air.

Rising Voices, August 18th, 2009
Nomad Green: More Workshops In Ulaanbaatar.

Ulaanbaatar Post, July 14th, 2009
Mongolia’s Growing Shantytowns.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Air Pollution Causes Lung Cancer and Kills 223,000 People Every Year (WHO)

The air many of us breathe poses serious health risks, the World Health Organization says. On Thursday, it added cancer to the list.

Full article on CNN.

Air pollution is a now officially a carcinogen, and there are no caveats about the new classification.

"We know that it is causing cancer in humans," said spokesman Kurt Straif.

In 2010, lung cancer resulting from air pollution took the lives of 223,000 people worldwide. As pollution levels climb, so will the rate of cancer, the WHO said.

And there is only one way to stop it: Clean up the air.

"We can't treat ourselves out of this cancer problem," said Chris Wild, who heads the WHO's cancer research wing, the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Cleaner air would also have other health benefits. Air pollution increases the risk of bladder cancer, the IARC said. It has been known for a while that it contributes to heart disease and respiratory ailments.

The problem is global, but people in developing countries with large populations and booming manufacturing sectors with few pollution controls are said to be particularly at risk.

"The predominant sources of outdoor air pollution are transportation, stationary power generation, industrial and agricultural emissions, and residential heating and cooking," the IARC said.

Outdoor dust can also contribute to cancer.

The agency decided upon the official classification of outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic after reviewing the latest scientific writings and coming to the conclusion that the evidence was ample.

The classification is an important step, said Dr. Christopher Wild, director of the IARC.

"There are effective ways to reduce air pollution and, given the scale of the exposure affecting people worldwide, this report should send a strong signal to the international community to take action without further delay."

The IARC called air pollution the most widespread environmental carcinogen and the worst.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

How a Climate Hazard Turned to Disaster Due to Unchecked Infrastructure Development in Northern India

Article by Elizabeth Colebourn in the Wall Street Journal

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The devastation in Uttarakhand in northern India this week was the result of a climate hazard – sudden and extreme rainfall.

But human actions and decisions are what turned a hazard into a disaster.

Climate change and development are combining to create a potent mix increasing the risk of disasters from extreme weather events, which are happening with greater frequency.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a report in 2012 on Managing the Risks to Extreme Events and Disasters , which concluded that even without taking climate change into account, the risk of disasters will continue to increase as more people, infrastructure and businesses – are exposed to weather extremes.

Rapid, unchecked development is making India’s people and its economy vulnerable.
Hasty construction of buildings on the banks of rivers in Uttarakhand, which have now been swept away by the floods, is a tragic example of this.

The state’s draft action plan to tackle climate change recognized the risks of poor planning. It noted that the blasting and excavation when constructing the 40,000km of roads in the state disturbed the land, as has the deforestation required to make room for such infrastructure.

“These operations often create geological disturbances in the mountains, and set into motion dynamic force causing the movements of slip zones, cracks, fissures and weak planes,” the action plan said.
Many thousands of people are stranded after landslides, triggered by heavy monsoon rains, destroyed roads and blocked access routes in the mountainous region.

The state had an average annual growth rate of over 12% between 2004-2012, driven largely by new manufacturing, transport, warehousing and hotels. Some environmental activists are now asking why this construction was allowed to happen in eco-sensitive zones, including along the Bhagirathi River that burst its banks on Saturday June 15.

Disaster risk reduction measures are in evidence across India, but not at the scale needed. Uttarakhand has an extensive training and communication programme, focused on building awareness for disaster preparedness. Guidelines and regulations for disaster-resilient construction are in place. However, like all states, the funding and political capital available for such preventative actions is dwarfed by that banked for relief efforts.

The real lesson from Uttarakhand’s tragedy is that reducing the risk of an extreme weather event becoming a disaster is not the responsibility of just those with ‘disaster’ in their job title.
A new approach is needed which takes a long-term perspective and sees disaster risk and adaptation to climate change as completely integral to development

Uttarakhand should not be singled out for this apparent lack of foresight. Every state in India is at risk of different climate extremes – whether an especially fierce heat wave, cyclone, drought, flooding or sea level rise – and there are examples from across the country of planning and investment decisions that do not take these risks into account.

Climate change is projected to make the situation even more severe and uncertain. The IPCC report also states that by 2050 we should expect not only more regular extreme weather events, but also unprecedented extremes; Cyclones will hit areas that they have not reached in the past, the report says.

Increasing the resilience of communities to the slow, steady onset of the impact of climate change, such as unpredictable rains and high temperatures, should be the aim.

The Government of Uttarakhand has in fact taken the first step, by drawing up a State Action Plan on Climate Change across sectors which includes managing the risks of disasters. It is titled “Transforming crisis into opportunity” and aims to build the resilience of the state’s development plans to the effects of climate change. However, the challenge now is to implement the plan.

Scientists have to work with uncertainties and policy makers have to plan for an unclear future. But, what we know for sure is that if development does not take into account the risk of natural disasters, then the loss of life from extreme weather, will continue to increase.

Elizabeth Colebourn, is Project Manager and India Lead at the Climate Development Knowledge Network, an alliance of organizations led by PricewaterhouseCoopers and based in London working on climate change compatible development.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Against Public Interest - Undermining BRT in Delhi, India

From Economic Political Weekly, August, 2012

One of the objectives of the 2006 National Urban Transport Policy was to “encourage greater use of public transport”. Yet, at times governments and even the judiciary seem to go out of their way to infl ict injury on the few initiatives that are taken to facilitate public transport.

Take the case of the 5.8 km Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) corridor in New Delhi. This is a project that was more than a decade in the making and went through many layers of discussion and assessment before the first stretch was made operational in 2008. For reasons that remain unknown and can only be said to be the voice of the car lobby at work, two years ago a section of the media ignored the benefi ts to those who travelled by bus and attacked the project in a crude fashion claiming that it would slow vehicle movement in the project stretch. The Delhi government chose not to respond purposively to this senseless and high voltage attack on the BRT and instead put its expansion on hold. Now, in a strange decision the Delhi High Court first admitted a public interest litigation (PIL) against the BRT and then, on the basis of a poorly conducted study, has passed interim orders allowing private vehicles to ply on the dedicated bus lanes. What hope then for public transport in the country if these are the developments in the capital?

By all accounts the corridor is popular among users of public transport – who constitute, according to various studies, more than half of all road users – since it enables them to travel faster and more safely through dedicated lanes. It is not surprising that in these selfi sh times the relatively well-off in their cars have taken umbrage at their less-fortunate fellow citizens being able to travel smoothly in buses.

If it was bad enough that the court admitted a PIL petition on the BRT, what was worse was its ready acceptance of what is by any standard a very weak study of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI). The CRRI evaluation of the Delhi bus corridor, which was commissioned by the Delhi High Court, was either carelessly prepared or was designed and executed to come up with conclusions favouring the arguments of the petitioner.

The CRRI study is so full of holes that it is diffi cult to believe that this is the work of a research institution. For instance, in its comparison of traffic movement in the BRT corridor with three other
arteries in Delhi, the agency did not care to see that it had to isolate the variable studied from all other aspects of traffi c movement.

Instead of studying a single variable, it compared a bunch of interrelated factors – vehicle speeds (of buses and cars), vehicle movement and emissions. What is more, the CRRI ignored the fact that bus occupancy rates vary during the day much more than of cars, and went ahead and used “average” occupancy rates to measure the volume of (people) movement – thereby tipping the comparison in favour of cars. Most egregious was the use of average incomes of different kinds of road users to measure the value of time lost/gained on the BRT. With such an approach, the value of the time lost by one wealthy occupant of a slowing BMW could well exceed the value of the time gained by a bus full of low and middle-income users. Are we or are we not equal citizens? And, yet, the court on the basis of this “study” gave a direction last month to let private vehicles travel on the BRT until it gave its fi nal orders.

Concerns have also been expressed about the placement of the bus lanes in the centre, which, it has been claimed, has made it diffi cult for commuters to cross busy roads. But this too is off the mark, for placing the bus lanes in the centre ensures that commuters have equal access to either side of the road when they alight or disembark, something that would not have been possible if the BRT lanes had been placed on the left.

The BRT project is in line with urban transport programmes elsewhere in the world that strive for greater effi ciency and use by a larger number of commuters. It is no one’s argument that the BRT in Delhi is perfect. But if the court, in its fi nal orders, were to rely on a single poorly conducted study and allow private vehicles to use what are supposed to be lanes dedicated for rapid movement of buses, it will be striking a serious blow against public transport.

If experiments like the Delhi BRT are destroyed at the very beginning, a wrong message would be sent to all the cities that are struggling to provide better public transport facilities.

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Air pollution: Should it Stop You Exercising?

An article from the Guardian, August 5th, 2012

The people involved with the Olympics are determined to make athletes of us all. Bradley Wiggins's win has inspired fans to get on their bikes; meanwhile Transport for London is encouraging passengers to walk between venues during the Games. But before we start doing Usain Bolt impressions through the city, scientists and campaigners are suggesting that we ought to think about the quality of air we are inhaling first.

Days before the opening ceremony, there were warnings that Olympic athletes could underperform, and even risk their health, because of London's summer smog. Although there have been several smogs already this year, last week's was the worst since 2006, according to Simon Birkett from campaigning group Clean Air in London. Pollution has caused problems at the Olympics before – at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, Steve Ovett blamed air pollution when he collapsed after the 800m final, with exercise- induced asthma. China used cloud seeding to clear the air before Beijing.

Luckily, good old British weather – in the form of last week's rain and wind – helped to dispel the smog, which builds in still conditions. But Birkett warns it could be back in time for the closing ceremony if the sun returns as forecast.

Smog, explains Dr Keith Prowse, medical adviser for the British Lung Foundation, is made of a particularly high concentration of fumes, particles and ground-level ozone. At high levels, this causes irritation to the respiratory tract, from the nose down to the lungs, leading to coughing, wheeziness or breathlessness. Of the particles in smog, the smallest are thought to do most harm, as they can be inhaled deepest into the lungs, although all cause problems.

It is not just athletes who are at risk. London's air is the worst in the UK – and in Europe, according to campaigners. The UK is also facing fines over the levels of pollution in 12 cities and urban areas (including Birkenhead and South Wales), which have high levels of exhaust emissions. Birkett says, exposure to air pollution is the biggest public health risk after smoking in the UK; government figures suggest 29,000 deaths a year could be attributed to it.

On high-pollution days, the advice for older people and those with lung problems is to reduce strenuous physical exercise. But even healthy people can experience discomfort such as sore eyes, a cough or sore throat, and are warned to consider decreasing outdoor exercise if they do. On days with very high levels of pollution – such as we experienced last month – everyone is advised to cut down their physical exertions.

So is this the excuse we have been looking for to stay on the sofa instead of pounding the streets? Definitely not, says Prowse. "The health benefits of exercise are generally greater than the health risks posed by pollution, certainly at normal UK levels. Most people in this country are unlikely to be affected by pollution when exercising."

"The most important thing is that people take note if they start to feel breathless or wheezy, or if they are coughing more during periods of high pollution. In these instances, they should visit a doctor in case it is the result of any undiagnosed condition, and minimise the impact of pollution on their bodies."

Air-quality expert Dr Gary Fuller, of King's College London, says he would encourage joggers, cyclists and walkers to "be a bit smarter and think about where they are doing their exercise", for instance choosing quieter routes away from heavy traffic. "If you are out taking exercise in an urban area, then it's sensible to think about the risks around you. You should think about minimising your exposure to air pollution," he says. Fuller and his colleagues have created a free app that allows people in London to check real-time air pollution levels where they are. Defra's website also provides air-quality readings and advice on when it is necessary to be careful.

Prowse says exercising in an air-conditioned gym or sports hall can help if you stay inside long enough for your breathing to return to normal. Avoid mid- to late-afternoon exercise as this is when ground-level ozone is highest. On really bad days, this is true for those living in rural areas too. Commuting before or after rush hour can help cyclists, joggers and walkers.

But there is no need to buy a mask because there is little evidence they work, according to Prowse. "Some people report that they make breathing and exercise more difficult. A lot of masks cannot filter out many of the smallest particles that are thought to cause the greatest harm."

But as Birkett points out, it's just as important that we all try to improve air quality, by reducing our own emissions and lobbying the government to take action. "People need the government to stop looking for loopholes to avoid complying with the law. Instead they should be proposing bold solutions such as banning the oldest diesel vehicles, as Germany has done." That, he says, really would be a breath of fresh air.

Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Air Pollution in Delhi - What's After CNG?

My article published in Economic Political Weekly (EPW) June 30th, 2012, issue.

As India's capital, Delhi has grown across sectors - industry, transport, and housing - which contribute to an increase in air pollution. This, in turn, has increased health risks, which are reflected in a rise in respiratory ailments. While the benefits of some interventions in the transport sector have been apparent, it is time to focus on low-hanging fruit in other sectors in order to improve air quality and public health in the city.

Download the article

More on the air pollution in Delhi, emissions inventory, and details on sources of air pollution, visit http://www.urbanemissions.info

Sunday, July 01, 2012

Press Release: Better Air Quality = Better Cities

27 June 2012, New Delhi – Air pollution is a serious health issue, and according to the World Health Organization, particulate matter alone kills 3.1 million people annually worldwide. This is higher than the average number of people killed in traffic accidents annually.

“With the current trend of urbanization and motorization, we need to empower cities towards a sustainable air quality management program - with more stringent standards and more powerful pollution control boards,” says Parthaa Bosu, CAI-Asia India Representative. “People flock to cities and this trend worsens air pollution posing great health risks to the population.”

About 340 million people in India live in cities and by 2030 this is expected to reach 590 million. India’s motorization index is currently about a tenth of developed regions like the US and Europe but is climbing rapidly. Estimates have shown that Delhi is adding 300,000 cars a year. For India as a whole, research shows that the vehicle population will more than double between 2005 and 2015, from 50 million to 125 million in 10 years. The resulting air pollutants and GHG emissions from these vehicles contribute to the air pollution problem in most urban cities in India.

To advocate for better air quality for cities, a series of workshops were conducted in the cities of Pune, Chennai, Indore, Ahmedabad and Delhi. The sessions covered all the components of integrated air quality management necessary to analyse and manage the air pollution in the cities, including tools to develop an emissions inventory and available management options to command and control air pollution in the cities.

These workshops are part of the Air Quality and Climate Change Program of the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia). Supported by the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation and in partnership with UrbanEmissions.info, CAI-Asia moves the agenda of air quality management forward by sharing the results from the UrbanEmissions.info’s study - Urban AirPollution & Co-benefits Analysis in Six Indian Cities – Pune, Chennai,Indore, Ahmedabad, Surat, and Rajkot. The city workshops included hands-on training for the SIM-air family of tools.

Dr. Sarath Guttikunda from UrbanEmissions.Info states, “the program is not meant to advocate a model, but to spread the concept of knowledge management for air quality management in the cities. This is a much needed exercise, where the required information in scattered and we need programs to collate that for an informed decision making.”

Mr. Rajesh Rangarajan, Senior Researcher from Institute for Financial Management and Research, Chennai, India, quotes, “we are using the results from the UrbanEmissions.info’s study in Chennai to advise the Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board on the placement of new air quality monitoring stations, based on the pollution hotspots and influencing emission sources like the brick kilns and landfills”.

A National Air Quality Management Workshop held in June 21 gathered members of government, civil society, and private sector under the banner for better air quality for cities. Showing their support for the air quality advocacy, member secretaries - Shri J.S. Kamyotra and Naini Jaiseelan noted the importance of air quality as a priority issue in India. Case studies by representatives from Chennai, Indore, and Pimpri Chinchwad (new Pune) were also presented.

In his keynote address, Shri J.S. Kamyotra, Member Secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board, highlighted the need for improving monitoring, emission inventories, dispersion modelling, and their application for action plans for cities. Together with research organizations in India, source apportionment studies were conducted by CPCB and MoEF for the period 2006 to 2010.

The city representatives conceded more is needed to be done and urged for the different stakeholders from government, civil society, and the academe work together for urban development. The outcome of the workshop provided a list of recommendations for the pollution control boards and on the wealth of potential partnerships and support available from other stakeholders in India.