All of India breathes bad air, AQLI 2025 report says , Pg2

Key Highlights:

• The AQLI 2025 report indicates that all of India experiences air quality exceeding WHO safe limits for PM2.5 [5 g/m³].
• Northern plains expose approximately 544.4 million people to harmful air pollution.
• Delhi residents could gain 8.2 years in life expectancy by meeting WHO standards.
• Bangladesh recorded 12 times higher PM2.5 levels than WHO guidelines in 2023.
• China has shown a consistent decrease in pollution over the last decade, despite a 2.8% increase in 2023.
• Global PM2.5 concentration in 2023 was 1.5% higher than in 2022 and almost 5 times over the WHO limit.

Detailed Insights:

• India's air quality standards are more lenient than WHO guidelines, with 46% of the population living in areas exceeding the national annual PM2.5 standard of 40 g/m3.
• Cleaning up India's air, even in the cleanest regions, could increase residents' life expectancy by 9.4 months.
• Emissions from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan contribute to widespread air pollution across South Asia.
• Gazipur in Bangladesh could see the highest life expectancy gain of 7.1 years with improved air quality.
• China's air quality improvements are attributed to policies restricting cars, cutting iron and steel capacity, banning new coal plants, and promoting cleaner heating solutions.
• Particulate pollution is identified as the greatest external threat to human life expectancy globally in 2023.

Key Concepts Involved:

• PM2.5: Fine inhalable particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, posing health risks.
• AQLI (Air Quality Life Index): A metric that translates particulate air pollution into its impact on life expectancy.
• WHO (World Health Organization): An international body responsible for public health within the United Nations system.