The WHO on Sunday issued a stark new warning about deadly levels of pollution in many of the world’s biggest cities, claiming poor air quality is killing millions and threatening to overwhelm health services across the globe.
Before the release next month of figures that are to show air pollution has worsened since 2014 in hundreds of already blighted urban areas, the WHO says there is now a global “public health emergency” that is to have untold financial implications for governments.
The latest data, taken from 2,000 cities, is to show further deterioration in many places as populations have grown, leaving large areas under clouds of smog created by a mix of transport fumes, construction dust, toxic gases from power generation and wood burning in homes.
Illustration: Mountain people
The toxic haze blanketing cities could be clearly seen last week from the International Space Station. Last week it was also revealed that several streets in London had exceeded their annual limits for nitrogen dioxide emissions just a few days into this year.
“We have a public health emergency in many countries from pollution. It’s dramatic, one of the biggest problems we are facing globally, with horrible future costs to society,” said Maria Neira, head of public health at the WHO.
“Air pollution leads to chronic diseases, which require hospital space. Before, we knew that pollution was responsible for diseases like pneumonia and asthma. Now we know that it leads to bloodstream, heart and cardiovascular diseases, too — even dementia. We are storing up problems,” Neira said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose government has been accused of dragging its feet over air pollution and is facing legal challenges over alleged inaction, last week conceded in the British House of Commons that the growing problem of air pollution in urban areas of the UK has implications for major policy decisions, such as whether to expand Heathrow Airport.
Asked by Conservative Party lawmaker Tania Mathias to pledge that he would never allow Heathrow to expand while nitrogen dioxide levels are risking the health of millions, Cameron said she was right to raise the matter, which was now “directly being taken on by the government.”
Last month, after warnings from the House of Commons environmental audit committee and others, Cameron put off a decision on Heathrow expansion for at least another six months.
Government sources said Cameron and other ministers are now taking the air pollution issue far more seriously. In 2014, the prime minister was widely criticized for describing it as “a naturally occurring weather phenomenon.”
According to the UN, there are now 3.3 million premature deaths every year from air pollution, about three-quarters of which are from strokes and heart attacks. With nearly 1.4 million deaths per year, China has the most air pollution fatalities, followed by India with 645,000 and Pakistan with 110,000.
In Britain, where latest figures suggest that about 29,000 people per year die prematurely from particulate pollution and thousands more from long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide gas, emitted largely by diesel engines, the government is being taken to court over its intention to delay addressing pollution for at least 10 years.
ClientEarth, a non-profit environmental law organization that last year forced ministers to come up with fresh plans to tackle illegal nitrogen dioxide levels in British cities, said that it would seek urgent court action, because the proposed solutions would take so long to implement and produce cleaner environments.
Under the latest government plan, announced before Christmas, the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs promised clean air zones for five cities by 2020, in addition to one already planned for London. However, this means it would be years before cities such as Manchester, Cardiff and Edinburgh feel the benefits.
“It’s the leading environmental health risk factor in the UK, responsible for 5 percent of all adult mortality. If we take action to reduce it, it will have multiple health cobenefits, like lower greenhouse gas emissions and healthier cities. Air pollution has an impact on NHS [National Health Service] spending, but we have not quantified it.” said Sotiris Vardoulakis, head of Public Health England’s environmental change department.
A new report from the EU’s European Environment Agency (EEA) said pollution is now also the single largest environmental health risk in Europe, responsible for more than 430,000 premature deaths.
“It shortens people’s lifespan and contributes to serious illnesses, such as heart disease, respiratory problems and cancer. It also has considerable economic impacts,” EEA Director Hans Bruyninckx said.
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