Clean-air solutions could improve lives of nearly one billion people in South Asia: World Bank

Clean-air solutions could significantly improve public health and economic outcomes for nearly one billion people across South Asia, according to a new World Bank report released on Monday. (15 December, 2025)

Nearly one billion people in the IGP-HF region are exposed to unhealthy air, resulting in around one million premature deaths each year. At the same time, economic losses are estimated at close to 10% of regional GDP annually, the report said.

Titled "A Breath of Change: Solutions for Cleaner Air in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and Himalayan Foothills", the report finds that a limited set of coordinated actions across sectors and jurisdictions could substantially reduce pollution, improve public health, and support stronger economic growth.

The IGP-HF region includes parts of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. According to the report, air pollution in the region stems mainly from five sources: household use of solid fuels for cooking and heating; inefficient industrial burning of fossil fuels and biomass without proper filtration; emissions from inefficient internal combustion vehicles; agricultural practices such as crop residue burning and poor fertiliser and manure management; and the burning of household and commercial waste.

The report highlights several solutions that can be readily adopted and scaled up. These include electric cooking, electrification and modernisation of industrial boilers, furnaces and kilns, expansion of non-motorised and electric transport systems, improved crop residue and livestock waste management, and better waste segregation, recycling and disposal.

Clean-air solutions are grouped into three mutually reinforcing areas. The first focuses on emission abatement at source in cooking, industry, transport, agriculture, and waste management. The second emphasises protection measures to strengthen health and education systems, ensuring children and vulnerable communities are safeguarded during the transition. The third highlights the need for strong institutions supported by regulatory frameworks, market-based instruments, and regional coordination to sustain long-term progress.

"This report shows that solutions are within reach and offers a practical roadmap for policy and decision makers to implement coordinated, feasible, and evidence-based solutions at scale," said Martin Heger, senior environmental economist at the World Bank.

"There are strong financial and economic rationales for South Asian enterprises, households, and farmers to adopt cleaner technologies and practices, and for governments to support them," he added.

To help countries translate these recommendations into action, the report introduces the "Four I's": information to provide reliable data for planning and accountability; incentives to encourage behavioural and investment shifts towards cleaner options; institutions to coordinate action and ensure compliance; and infrastructure to support clean energy, transport, waste systems, and modern industrial operations.

"Achieving cleaner air will require continued collaboration, sustained financing and strong implementation at local, national and regional levels," said Ann Jeannette Glauber, World Bank practice manager for environment, South Asia.

"By acting together, governments can follow this pathway to cut pollution, save millions of lives and deliver cleaner air for all," she said.