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Air Pollution in South Asia Reduces Life Span by 5.1 Years on Average

  • 31 Aug 2023

A recent report highlights that air pollution in South Asia, particularly in countries like Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, is cutting the average life expectancy of residents by 5.1 years.

Key Points

  • Significant Impact: The Energy Institute published the 'Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) Annual Update 2023' report, indicating that air pollution in South Asia, particularly in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, is leading to a decrease in the average life span by 5.1 years.
  • Indian Scenario: In India, poor air quality on average reduces an individual's life expectancy by 5.3 years.
  • This surpasses the impact of cardiovascular diseases (4.5 years) and child/maternal malnutrition (1.8 years) on life expectancy.
  • AQLI Report: The report analyzes the impact of particulate pollution on life expectancy using the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI).
  • Highly Affected Region: South Asia, particularly countries like Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, experiences a higher impact on life expectancy due to air pollution compared to other health threats like tobacco use, unsafe water and sanitation, and alcohol use.
  • Elevated Exposure: The average person in these countries faces particulate pollution levels that are 51.3% higher than those at the beginning of the century.
  • Impact on Life Years Lost: The report emphasizes that if pollution levels had remained constant since 2000, the residents of these countries would have been expected to lose 3.3 years of life expectancy.
  • Pollution in Specific Countries: Bangladesh stands as the most polluted nation globally, facing 6.8 years of average life loss per person due to pollution.
  • India follows closely, where all 1.3 billion people live in areas with particulate pollution exceeding WHO guidelines.
  • Increasing Pollution Levels: Air quality levels in India have deteriorated significantly. From 1998 to 2021, average annual particulate pollution increased by 67.7%, shortening average life expectancy by 2.3 years. Moreover, from 2013 to 2021, India contributed to 59.1% of the global increase in pollution.
  • Reasons behind Pollution Spike: The report attributes the increase in air pollution to rapid industrialization, economic development, population growth, and increased energy demand and fossil fuel usage across the region.
  • Effects of Particulate Pollution: Particulate matter like PM 2.5, due to its tiny size, can easily enter the circulatory system, leading to chronic diseases such as asthma, heart attacks, bronchitis, and respiratory problems.