South Asia remains the world’s most polluted region, accounting for 45 per cent of the total life years lost globally due to high pollution, despite having cleaner air compared to previous years, according to a study. Clearly pollution impact on life expectancy is higher than the other large health threats.
Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago’s annual Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report reveals that people living in the most polluted places are breathing air that is six times more polluted than the air breathed by those living in the least polluted areas, and this contributes to lifetimes that are shorter by 2.7 years .
The report points out that Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan — where 23.2 per cent of the global population lives — are among the most polluted countries in the world.
“In each of these four countries, the impact of particulate pollution on life expectancy is substantially higher than that of other large health threats. Tobacco use, for instance, reduces life expectancy in these countries by as much as 2 years; unsafe water and sanitation by as much as 1 year; and alcohol use by half a year. The average resident of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan is exposed to particulate pollution levels that are 22.3 per cent higher than at the turn of the century,” it revealed.
Higher pollution, lower life expectancy
Had pollution levels in 2000 remained constant over time, the residents in these countries would be on track to lose 2.8 years of life expectancy — not the 3.5 years that they stand to lose in 2022, the report has revealed.
Bangladesh has consistently emerged as the most polluted South Asian country. Despite a 20 per cent decline in particulate concentration in 2022 relative to 2021, Bangladesh’s annual average PM 2.5 level was more than 10 times of the WHO guideline. “Home to 166.4 million people, the average resident in Bangladesh is likely to lose 4.8 years of life expectancy if the pollution level persists,” the report revealed.
Although Bangladesh is the most polluted country overall, India faces the highest health burden of air pollution on account of the large population that is exposed to it.
Despite a 19.3 per cent drop in particulate levels in 2022 compared to 2021, an average resident in India is likely to lose 3.4 years of life expectancy if pollution levels persist. The most polluted region of India is the Northern Plains, home to more than a half-billion people and almost 40 per cent of the country’s population.
In 2022, particulate levels in this region were lower by 17.2 per cent relative to 2021 levels, the study said adding that “If these levels are sustained in the years to come, the life expectancy in the Northern Plains could increase by 1.2 years. Although 2022 was cleaner compared to previous years, the average resident in this region is still likely to lose about 5.4 years of life expectancy if the pollution level persists — which implies that there is significant scope for further strengthening mitigation efforts.”
Beyond the Northern Plains, the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have the highest burden of pollution in the country.
In India and Pakistan, the number of vehicles on the road has increased about four-fold since the early 2000s. In Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan combined, electricity generation from fossil fuels has tripled from 1998 to 2017. Crop burning, brick kilns, and other industrial activities have also contributed to rising particulate emissions in the region.
“The increase in energy use has led to higher living standards and economic output, which have greatly enhanced well-being. But the concomitant rise in particulate pollution has had serious consequences,” it said.
In India, the country with the highest health burden of pollution in South Asia, the Government launched its National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 with the stated goal of reducing 2017 particulate pollution levels by 20 to 30 per cent by the year 2024. In 2022, the Indian Government revamped its NCAP goal, aiming to achieve a 40 per cent reduction in particulate pollution levels by 2026 in 131 non-attainment cities.
“If India were to meet this target, the residents in the non-attainment will see their life expectancy increase by 2 years compared to 2017. India’s national average life expectancy will also increase by an additional 7.8 months as a result,” it said.
The AQLI is a pollution index that translates particulate air pollution into perhaps the most important metric that exists: its impact on life expectancy. Developed by the University of Chicago’s Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics Michael Greenstone and his team at the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), the AQLI is rooted in recent research that quantifies the causal relationship between long-term human exposure to air pollution and life expectancy.
The Index then combines this research with hyper-localised and global particulate measurements. The Index also illustrates how air pollution policies can increase life expectancy when they meet the World Health Organisation’s guideline for what is considered a safe level of exposure, existing national air quality standards, or user-defined air quality levels. This information can help to inform local communities and policymakers about the importance of air pollution policies in concrete terms.