S Asia must work together on pollution

Estimates indicate average exposure to particulate matter could be halved by 2030 if govts in pollution hotspots operated under a common pollution reduction strategy

A new World Bank study on air pollution in South Asia has shed fresh light on the continuing deterioration of air quality in the entire region and suggested the best and most effective methods to fight it. It has noted that air quality in the region is the worst in the world as 37 of the world’s 40 most polluted cities are located here.

About 60 per cent of the region’s population is badly affected, and pollution levels exceed stringent WHO standards. It causes more than two million premature deaths and other health complications. The thrust of the study is that pollution in the entire region should be seen in its entirety and not as separate problems to be dealt with by countries separately. This is because the pollution-causing particles, called Particulate Matter (PM), especially PM 2.5, travel hundreds of kilometres across municipal, state, and national boundaries. About 30 per cent of pollution in Punjab comes from Pakistan and 30 per cent of pollution in Bangladesh has its origin in India. All countries in the region and the areas within them are thus intimately linked by pollution.

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The study, therefore, recommends a common and interlinked plan by the countries of the region to fight pollution. It has reached the conclusion after study and analysis of data pertaining to the region. All countries have their own programmes to deal with pollution. But the study has found that they would only achieve a 4 per cent decline in PM 2.5 between 2018 and 2030 even if they are fully implemented. But there will be much better results if the countries work together. It is estimated that the average exposure to particulate matter could be halved by 2030 if governments and other authorities in pollution hotspots operated under a common pollution reduction strategy. The cost for each country could be reduced by as much as 10 times.

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The study has proposed a three-pronged plan to start with. It comprises the collection and monitoring of credible data, sharing of experience and adoption of cost-effective solutions, and implementation of cleaner and greener technologies through various means. The study says that cooperative air pollution abatement demands a lot of time and money, but the economic benefits are enormous. It says that if there is full coordination, more than 750,000 lives would be saved annually, at a cost of just $7,600 per life saved. There are other benefits, such as reduced health expenditure, greater workplace productivity, and other economic gains. But the real issue may not be money or time but political will. Are the governments in the region ready to work together in the face of a common threat? It is most unlikely in an atmosphere badly polluted by politics.