The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), recently released Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report, 2023 indicating that air pollution shortens life of Indians.
About Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report:
- AQLI is based on frontier research that quantifies relationship between human exposure to air pollution and reduced life expectancy.
- It combines research with hyper-localized, and satellite measurements of global Particulate Matter (PM2.5).
- It illustrates that pollution policies can increase life expectancy if it meets World Health Organization (WHO) and existing national air quality standards.
- The life expectancy is relative to WHO guideline of 5 micrograms per cubic meters (µg/m3).
Key Findings of AQLI 2023 on India:
- Particulate pollution is the greatest threat to human health in India.
- Particulate Matter 2.5 shortens an average Indian’s life expectancy by 5.3 years.
- Cardiovascular diseases, caused by the pollution, reduces the average life expectancy by about 4.5 years.
- Child and maternal malnutrition reduce life expectancy by 1.8 years.
- About 67.4% of population live in areas exceeding India’s national air quality standard of 40 µg/m3.
- Particulate pollution has increased from 1998 to 2021.
- Average annual particulate pollution increased by 67.7% reduces average life expectancy by 2.3 years.
- 59.1% of the world’s increase in pollution came from India between 2013 to 2021.
- The Northern Plains region of India is the most polluted (38.9%).
[Ref- AQLI]
[Ref- AQLI]
Scenario in South Asia:
- Increase in PM2.5 levels from 2013 to 2021:
- South Asia– 9.7%
- India– 9.5%
- Pakistan– 8.8%
- Bangladesh– 12.4%
Policy Impacts of India:
- If India would reduce particulate pollution as per the WHO guidelines, residents in Delhi would gain 11.9 years of life expectancy.
- India launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 to reduce particulate pollution.
- NCAP aimed to reduce particulate pollution by 20-30% relative to 2017 levels by 2024.
- It focused on 102 cities as non-attainment cities– which do not match national annual average PM2.5 standard.
- Revamp reduction target for NCAP (2022) by setting goal of 40% reduction in 2017 levels for 131 non-attainment cities by 2025-26.
- The average PM2.5 exposure would be 21.9 µg/m3 lower than 2017 levels and add 2.1 years of life, if new targets are achieved.
Ref: Source
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