India sees decline in pollution, improvement in air quality but levels are still concerning
There had been an 18% decline in levels in South Asia, boosting life expectancy slightly, shows research.
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Levels of particulate matter in the air declined in South Asia including India in 2022 after years of continuous increase, shows new research by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago – EPIC. Yet, air quality in South Asia remains poor and many cities do not even comply with their national air quality standards, let alone the more stringent standards set by the World Health Organization.
Global pollution declined in 2022 almost entirely due to the 18% decline in levels in South Asia – and to a lesser extent, the 4.8% decline in Southeast Asia, researchers found. If not for these declines, global pollution levels would have remained the same as in 2021.
The South Asian decline from 2021 to 2022 is the largest single year decline for a region since the beginning of data collection in 1998. If this progress is sustained, EPIC estimated, it would translate into 0.9 years of life expectancy gained compared to 2021 levels.
Particulate matter measuring less than 10 micrometre in diameter has the ability to penetrate deep into the respiratory system, as IndiaSpend reported in October 2023 Among these particles, those with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometre, known as PM 2.5, pose the most significant...
