A new report titled “State of Global Air Quality Funding 2023,” published by the Clear Air Fund based in the UK in collaboration with the Climate Policy Initiative, highlights disparities in the allocation of funds to combat air pollution from 2015 to 2021.
Key Findings Of Global Air Quality Funding 2023 Report
- The “State of Global Air Quality Funding 2023” report reveals that India and Nepal received less than 1% of the total $17.3 billion that international development funders allocated to fight air pollution.
- Five countries, namely China, the Philippines, Mongolia, and Pakistan, received the majority of this funding, at a substantial 86%.
- Soumya Swaminathan, who served as the Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization from 2019 to 2022, pointed out in the report that only 1% of the total international development funding is dedicated to improving outdoor air quality.
- The report highlights the areas in need of focus and outlines opportunities for key actors.
- These key actors include international development funders like the World Bank, as well as national policymakers and regulators, who can significantly contribute to achieving clean air standards.
- The report indicates that during a specific period, just 1% of total funding was allocated to regions such as Latin America and the Caribbean.
- African countries received only USD 0.76 billion, making up a tiny 5% of the total outdoor air quality funding.
- It’s important to note that five of the top 10 countries with the worst PM2.5 exposure rates are in Africa, highlighting the urgent need for increased funding in these areas.
Global Funding Distribution For Air Pollution Mitigation
- The report highlights that only 1% of international development funding, which equates to $17.3 billion, was used to tackle air pollution.
- The allocation for international public climate finance for air pollution related issues was only 2%.
- The report emphasises that a significant percentage (86%) of the funding for outdoor air quality, amounting to USD 12 billion, is directed towards certain countries.
- The majority of this funding goes to China (37%), followed by the Philippines (20%), Bangladesh (17%), Mongolia (6%), and Pakistan (6%).
- The report thoroughly examines financial assistance provided by different international development sources, such as multilateral development banks, bilateral development agencies, and governments. These entities have extended support to low- and middle-income countries through means like loans, grants, and other methods, with the aim of improving air quality.
- Together, these institutions were responsible for 81 percent of the total funding dedicated to improving outdoor air quality during the most recent five-year period for which data is available.
- The report highlights the top three cities that have received the highest amount of funding for outdoor air quality in recent years: Beijing (27 percent), Dhaka (9 percent), and Ulaanbaatar (6 percent).
- There is a noticeable imbalance between the allocation of funding and the actual burden of air pollution.
- This discrepancy is particularly evident in countries like India and Nepal, which suffer from some of the highest yearly average PM2.5 exposures, weighted by population.
Understanding Outdoor Air Pollution
- Outdoor air pollution or ambient air pollution is the contamination of Earth’s atmosphere by harmful substances and pollutants.
- These contaminants are primarily from human activities such as industrial operations, transportation, and energy production.
- Pollutants include particulate matter, gases like nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds.
- Exposure to these pollutants can lead to serious health issues including respiratory and cardiovascular problems.