Around three quarters of the adverse health effects of air
pollution is concentrated in just six countries - Bangladesh,
India, Pakistan, China, Nigeria and Indonesia, the University of
Chicago's Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) said in its annual Air
Quality Life Index (AQLI) report.
If hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 were brought down
to levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO),
average life expectancy would rise by 2.3 years worldwide,
saving a combined 17.8 billion life years, the report estimated.
While average world pollution levels have fallen slightly over
the past decade, almost all of the improvement has been driven
by China, where a 10-year "war on pollution" has seen PM2.5 fall
by more than 40% since 2013.
"While China has had remarkable success in its war against air
pollution, the trend in other parts of the world is going in the
opposite direction," said Christa Hasenkopf, AQLI's director.
PM2.5 in South Asia has risen by nearly 10% since 2013, she
said, cutting average life expectancy in the region by around
five years. Growing energy consumption in central and western
Africa was also turning particulate pollution into a growing
health threat on par with HIV/AIDS and malaria.
Virtually all of Southeast Asia is also now considered to have
"unsafe levels of pollution", with average life expectancy cut
by 2-3 years.
China's average PM2.5 concentrations stood at 29 micrograms per
cubic metre in 2022, but it still remains significantly higher
than the WHO recommendation of 5 micrograms.
While improvements in China have helped raise average life
expectancy by 2.2 years since 2013, it could rise by another 2.5
years if the country were to meet the WHO standard.
"We haven't turned the corner on air pollution yet, though
China's example shows us that the issue is a tractable one,"
Hasenkopf said.
(Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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