The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report for 2023 has been released by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC). The data was compared against the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards of 5 micrograms per cubic metre.
What Is AQLI?
- AQLI is an index that measures air pollution. Its special feature is that it can show how air pollution affects how long people live.
- This tool was created by Michael Greenstone, a professor at the University of Chicago, and his team at the Energy Policy Institute at the same university (EPIC).
- The AQLI is based on studies that show a direct link between long-term exposure to polluted air and a person’s lifespan.
- The index uses a mix of research and localised satellite readings of global particulate matter (PM2.5). This combination allows a deeper understanding of pollution’s impact on communities worldwide.
- The index also shows the potential benefits of air pollution policies. When these policies align with the World Health Organisation’s safe exposure guidelines, national air quality standards, or user-defined levels, they can improve life expectancy.
Key Findings
- Air pollution, specifically PM2.5, is the leading environmental hazard affecting people’s health worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation, it shortens our life spans by 2.3 years on average.
- However, the impact on life expectancy is not the same everywhere. It changes if we take into account the national air quality standards of each country, which consider factors like geography and weather.
- Air pollution greatly shortens life expectancy, affecting six countries the most. These are Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, Nigeria, and Indonesia. People living there lose between one and six years of life due to poor air quality.
- South Asia has seen a significant rise in pollution. It increased by 9.7% from 2013 to 2021. The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) estimates that this has cut life expectancy in the region by half a year.
- In specific countries, the increase was also significant. India saw PM2.5 levels rise by 9.5%. In Pakistan, it was 8.8%. The biggest increase was in Bangladesh, with a rise of 12.4%.
- People living in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan lose about five years of their life due to pollution. This is if the pollution stays at the current high levels. These countries account for more than half of the life years lost worldwide due to pollution.
- Many countries with high pollution do not have the basic infrastructure to manage air pollution. Asia and Africa are the main examples. These two continents add up to 92.7 per cent of the total life years lost due to pollution.
- Only about 7 per cent of governments in Asia and less than 4 per cent in Africa share all their air quality data openly.
- Further, just over 35 per cent of Asian countries and about 5 per cent of African countries have air quality standards. These standards are crucial for any pollution control policies.
The Impact Of Pollution In India
- India’s pollution issue is alarming, affecting over 521.2 million residents in the Northern Plains. This accounts for nearly 39% of the population. The particulate pollution level in India is 17.3 times higher than the World Health Organisation’s recommended standard.
- The average Indian could lose 1.8 years of their life, and for Delhi’s residents, this number could rise to 8.5 years. This is if India doesn’t meet its national air quality standards of 40 µg/m3.
- Every person in India, over 1.3 billion people, lives in areas where the particulate pollution level breaches the World Health Organisation’s standards. Furthermore, 67.4% of the population lives in regions where the pollution level surpasses India’s national standards.
- The shocking pollution levels in the Northern Plains can be attributed to geographical and meteorological elements. However, data from the AQLI suggests that human activities significantly contribute to the severe particulate pollution these residents endure.
- In 2022, AQLI revealed that the average lifespan of an Indian was reduced by 5 years because of pollution. They included the annual PM2.5 levels of 2020 in their study. The average PM2.5 level was slightly lower in 2022 (56.2 µg/m3), as opposed to 2021 (58.7 µg/m3), due to Covid-related lockdowns.
Significant Progress In China’s Battle Against Air Pollution
China has made significant progress in the fight against air pollution. Since launching their war against pollution in 2013, they have successfully reduced pollution levels by 42.3 per cent. This improvement means that the life expectancy of an average Chinese citizen could increase by 2.2 years, assuming these positive changes continue. However, China’s pollution level is still notably high, six times above the guideline set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This high level of pollution can potentially reduce life expectancy by 2.5 years.
Editorial View
(Editorial Highlights: “The Toll Of Air” – Published in The Indian Express on September 1, 2023)
- Air quality in the country has been a health concern for over two decades.
- High levels of particulate matter in the air not only affect lung and heart health but also increase the risk of cancer, and cognitive disorders, and hinder children’s development.
- A 2022 study by Lancet revealed that in 2019, 1.67 million people in India died due to diseases caused by PM2.5 pollution.
- The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) from the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institutes (UCEPI) shows how this pollution shortens lives.
- Most Indian cities now have plans to improve air quality. However, these plans often repeat the unsuccessful methods of the past, like focusing too much on penalties. They also fail to connect the environmental issue with public health crises.
- Delhi, for example, has mainly acted against pollution when it reaches emergency levels. The city still struggles to address the root causes that lead to only around 100 days of good air quality each year.
- Delhi, like many parts of North India, faces geographical challenges that trap pollutants, especially in winter.
- Lowering PM 2.5 levels will require the cooperation of various groups of people. This includes businesses, middle and working classes, and professionals. They need to work together on revamping transportation methods and creating sustainable development strategies.
- It’s important to ensure that these changes don’t negatively impact people’s livelihoods. Addressing these complex issues needs strong political will. Unfortunately, political leadership has often failed to take responsibility for tackling pollution, only acting when pressured by the judiciary.