Air pollution behind 20% of premature deaths in Bangladesh: World Bank

Highlights: 

• In South Asia, air pollution causes an estimated two crore premature deaths each year, with significant economic costs incurred. 
• Exposure to such extreme air pollution has impacts ranging from stunting and reduced cognitive development in children, to respiratory infections and chronic and debilitating diseases.
• Air pollution can drive up healthcare costs, reduce a country's productive capacity, and lead to lost workdays.
• South Asia is home to nine of the world's 10 cities with the worst air pollution and Dhaka is one of them.
   

Air pollution is responsible for about 20% of premature deaths in Bangladesh, according to a World Bank report.

In South Asia, air pollution causes an estimated two crore premature deaths each year, leading to significant economic costs, said the report, "Striving for Clean Air: Air Pollution and Public Health in South Asia", unveiled at an event in Dhaka on Tuesday. 

Exposure to such extreme air pollution has impacts ranging from stunting and reduced cognitive development in children, to respiratory infections and chronic and debilitating diseases. This drives up healthcare costs, lowers a country's productive capacity, and leads to lost workdays, it added.

South Asia is home to nine of the world's 10 cities with the worst air pollution and Dhaka is one of them. The WB report shows that there are economically feasible, cost-effective solutions to come by clean air in the region, but this requires countries to coordinate policies and investments.

The report says concentrations of fine particulate matter such as soot and small dust (PM2.5) in some of the region's most densely populated and poor areas are up to 20 times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) standard (5 micrograms per cubic meter air or µg/m3).

Steps to reduce ambient and household air pollution could significantly reduce premature deaths. The four scenarios outlined in the report involve policies to reduce emissions of ambient PM2.5 from stationary and mobile sources, such as power plants, factories, and motor vehicles, and also reduce the number of households burning solid fuels. 

Deaths could be avoided in 2030 due to reductions in PM2.5 according to the four scenarios. The average cost per life saved for each scenario varies from $7,600 to $68,000. The impacts of these reductions in PM2.5 on premature mortality are measured from baseline values of ambient and household air pollution in 2030.

"Air pollution creates a serious threat to public health and has major consequences on economic growth," said Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.

"Evidence shows that with commitment, the right actions, and policies, it is possible to tackle air pollution. Bangladesh has already taken steps to improve air quality management, including the approval of the Air Pollution Control Rules. Along with strong national actions, transboundary solutions will be important to curb air pollution. Through analytical work and new investments, the World Bank is helping Bangladesh reduce air pollution," he added.

The research says that air pollution travels long distances, crossing national boundaries, and gets trapped in large airsheds that are shaped by climatology and geography. The report identifies six major airsheds in South Asia where spatial interdependence in air quality is high.

Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan share a common airshed that spans the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Particulate matter in each airshed comes from various sources and locations, for example, in many cities, such as Dhaka, Kathmandu and Colombo, only one-third of the air pollution originates within the city. 

Recognising the transboundary nature of air pollution, four South Asian nations---Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan---for the first time joined together to draw up the Kathmandu Roadmap for improving air quality in the Indo-Gangetic Plain and Himalayan foothills, says the WB report.

"Air pollution is not limited to a city, state, or national boundaries – it is transboundary in nature," said Cecile Fruman, World Bank director for Regional Integration for South Asia. 

"South Asian countries in the same airshed---common geographical areas that share the same air quality---can reduce the alarming level of air pollution only if they take a coordinated approach. By working together countries can get results better, faster and cheaper."  
Bangladesh and a few other South Asian countries have adopted policies to help improve air quality but along with taking action at the district and country level, it is also urgent that coordinated transboundary actions are taken with neighbouring countries.

This report shows that, under the predominant wind direction from the northwest to the southeast, 30 percent of the air pollution in the Indian state of Punjab comes from Punjab province in Pakistan and, on average, 30 percent of the air pollution in the largest cities of Bangladesh (Dhaka, Chittagong, and Khulna) originates in India.

During parts of the year, substantial pollution flows in the other direction across borders. Optimal AQM also requires changes in the behaviour of millions of farmers, small enterprises, including small-scale brick kilns, and households. Such behavioural change is not easy to achieve in practice.