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Two of the critical pillars necessary to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being) are ensuring healthy lives of the population and promoting well-being for all. According to "SDG 3 Gap Report" from the World Health Organization (WHO), though headways in these areas were gained—life expectancy was increased and mortality rate was reduced—efforts were needed to eliminate wide ranges long-standing health issues. Among those, one that stands out is air pollution, which is hard to eradicate and persistent, posing health risks to those in crowded and densely populated areas and cities.
A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH
Air pollution can be generally described as the contamination of both indoor and outdoor environments by chemicals and physical or biological agents, which adversely modify the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. WHO studies show that exposure to air pollution is estimated to cause millions of deaths and loss of life expectancy annually. Diseases related to exposure to air pollution are considered by doctors worldwide to be on par with unhealthy diet and tobacco smoking; some recognized it as the “single biggest environmental threat to human health.” In Thailand, for example, has average air pollution index that exceeds the WHO guidelines by five times and has been at this level for the past five years, with more than 10 million Thais sought treatment for air pollution-linked illnesses in 2023.
NOT JUST HEALTH BUT THE ECONOMY
Reducing air pollution is not only a matter of national health security; consequences associated with air pollution can have wider implications on society as a whole as well as the economy. Air pollution continues negatively affects the population’s health, subsequently impacting their ability to work. As studies from the World Bank Group (WBG) estimate that reducing air pollution by just 20% could result in a 33% increase in labor productivity growth rate, reducing air pollution must become a significant priority for any government besets with this problem.
THE NEED FOR ABATEMENT
The global effort and recognition of air pollution as a major problem has led to the continuous development of technologies to eradicate and contain it. Policy-wise, measures such as setting emission limit values for air pollutants serve as a tool and incentive to encourage the adoption of cleaner technologies across industries. In the long term, environmental policies favor the economy by promoting more efficient resource use and providing health benefits, potentially increasing GDP by up to 10%, per a WBG report. To fuel policymaking, direct action is needed. The United Nations has established a Task Force on Techno-Economics to gather data for pollution reduction; its findings are applied in revising current UN protocols to reduce and prevent further air pollution.
The world is currently facing a unique and multifaceted universal health crisis. Global health emergencies like air pollution are not merely a risk in itself, but something that underscore the critical importance of effective control measures. Addressing the air pollution crisis is an urgent matter requiring cooperation from diverse stakeholder groups. Everyone, after all, breaths the same air.
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