Focus: GS2: Health issues, Social Issues
Why in news?
efforts of the government and the private sector to revive the economy in the time of COVID19 are two dangers to people’s health air pollution and greenhouse gases
Impact
- avoided number of early deaths from dirty air quality in recent months in China is estimated to have exceeded the number of those who have died from COVID19
- In Europe, 11,000 air pollution related deaths were estimated to have been averted since the start of lockdowns
- Globally some 9 million premature deaths a year are associated with air pollutants, such as fine particulate matter, known as PM 2.5
- 14 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities are in India
- GHGs like carbon dioxide are causing global warming and damaging health
- Ranked as the world’s fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, India must respond to alerts on communicable diseases linked to GHGs
- Global warming intensifies heat waves and worsens respiratory illnesses
- Locust swarms in Jaipur and Gurugram have been linked to climate change
- Mosquito borne diseases in India have been connected to global warming through both increased rainfall and heat waves
- Spending on reducing air pollution and GHGs provides estimated health benefits of 1.4 to 2.5 times more than the cost of the action
Way forward
- Emission reduction should be coupled with a stronger public health system
- Increased health expenditure as a percentage of GDP
- Improving public transport
- Limiting the number of polluting vehicles on the road
- Introducing less polluting fuel
- Strict emission regulations
- Improved efficiency for thermal power plants and industries
- Moving from diesel generators to rooftop solar
- Increased use of clean renewable energy
- Electric vehicles
- Removing dust from roads
- Regulating construction activities
- Stopping biomass burning, etc.
