Urban air quality getting worse

Bogotà has improved air quality by prioritising urban public transport, walking and cycling. Photo: Adam Jones/flickr.com/cc by-sa

About half of the urban population being monitored worldwide is exposed to air pollution that is at least 2.5 times higher than the levels recommended by the WHO.

The urban air quality database of the World Health Organization (WHO) now covers 1600 cities across 91 countries – 500 more cities than the previous database issued in 2011. This shows that more and more cities worldwide are monitoring outdoor air quality, reflecting a growing recognition of air pollution’s health risks.

Only 12 per cent of the people living in cities reporting on air quality reside in cities where the pollution levels comply with the WHO’s air quality guideline levels. About half of the urban population being monitored is exposed to air pollution levels that are at least 2.5 times higher than the guidelines recommended by the WHO – putting those people at additional risk of serious, long-term health problems.

In most of these cities air pollution is getting worse, often due to reliance on fossil fuels such as coal-fired power plants for electricity generation, dependence on private transport motor vehicles, inefficient use of energy in buildings, and the use of biomass for cooking and heating.

Some of the most polluted cities are: Dakar (Senegal); Mexico City, Karachi (Pakistan); Ulaanbataar (Mongolia) and Seoul (South Korea). However, thirteen of the dirtiest twenty cities are Indian, with New Delhi, Patna, Gwalior and Raipur in the top four spots.

“We can win the fight against air pollution and reduce the number of people suffering from respiratory and heart disease, as well as lung cancer,” said Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. “Effective policies and strategies are well understood, but they need to be implemented at sufficient scale. Cities such as Copenhagen and Bogotà, for example, have improved air quality by promoting ‘active transport’ and prioritising dedicated networks of urban public transport, walking and cycling.”

Christer Ågren

Source: WHO press release 7 May 2014.

The ambient air pollution in cities database 2014

In this issue

150 ways to cut GHG emissions

NGOs from eleven countries in Northern Europe have evaluated national policies used to cut greenhouse gases. Result: some 150 measures. If all repeated some of the lessons learned by their neighbours, emissions would come down fast.

Editorial: 1.5°C target can be reached

In April 2014, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a report that presented a scenario for a pathway on how to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C ..

Profitable to cut air pollution

The monetised health benefits alone of less air pollution are up to 42 times greater than the emission abatement costs. In addition there will be substantial benefits to ecosystems, forests, agricultural crops and materials.

IMO weakens NOx rules for ships

A hastily adopted compromise decision that was taken without any impact assessment, despite the risk that it will negatively affect the environment and the health of Europeans.

A changing climate creates pervasive risks

The effects of climate change are already being seen on all continents and across the oceans.

Persistent problems in meeting NOx limits

Eleven EU countries breached at least one of their air pollutant emission ceilings in 2012, preliminary data from the European Environment Agency shows.

Hidden costs make coal expensive

Unexpected costs and technical disappointments have been recurrent while building the Moorburg power station – a project that is part of a 6 GW coal power expansion in Germany.

Diet shifts could reduce nitrogen pollution

Halving the consumption of meat, dairy and eggs in Europe could reduce ammonia and other nitrogen emissions by 40 per cent.

Rise in agricultural emissions

Aggregated greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture increased by 14 per cent between 2001 and 2011, according to new data from the FAO.

SCR can cut ship NOx emissions

The technology to drastically cut ship NOx emissions is widely available, performs well, and may even slightly reduce ship fuel consumption. The costs of installation and operation are modest and expected to fall over time.

Air pollution the world’s largest environmental health risk

New figures from the WHO link indoor and outdoor air pollution to around 7 million premature deaths a year – more than double previous estimates.