This is a list of 5 reasons why Air pollution affects us all
The quality of air pollution is a crucial weapon for the fight against climate change, for saving lives, for fostering inclusive societies, and for the betterment of childhood development.
Climate Change Health Society Children Economy
A major challenge facing the world today is a lack of air quality, a problem threatening to contaminate our environment and harm our health. The quality of the air we breathe has the potential to affect our health and wellbeing negatively, yet many people mistakenly believe that it does not affect them at all.
The air pollution problem affects everyone, and it can be avoided if we work together to prevent it. Solutions to this pressing issue will also be essential to tackling the climate crisis, fostering inclusive societies, and improving the development of children and youth worldwide. I believe that by coming together, we can transform our approach to one of the greatest hidden killers in the world by working together.
According to the latest report, there are five reasons why clean air pollution is everyone’s concern, as well as recommendations for funders and campaigners about how to get the job done.
- There is a possibility of limiting global warming by reducing air pollution.
Several pollutants may contribute to global warming, including air pollution and greenhouse gases that share the same sources. To slow climate change in the future, we need to reduce these pollutants (known as Short-Lived Climate Pollutants) that contribute to climate change and help limit warming to 1.5C.
Pollutants in the air harm our health
There is a possibility that the air you breathe is polluted even though you can’t see it. Approximately nine out of ten of us in the world breathe air that is harmful to our health. There are invisible particles that penetrate every cell in our body, causing acute and chronic illnesses, such as asthma, strokes, heart attacks and dementia, which cause our bodies to be damage from the inside out. Every year, around 4.2 million early deaths are caused by outdoor air pollution due to the effects of climate change.
- Childhood is adversely affected by poor air quality.
The children of our generation, and all future generations, deserve to breathe free of toxic air pollution and are entitled to such air. There is a 93% chance that a child under the age of 15 will not be able to grow up in a clean, safe and healthy environment. The air pollution we breathe is heavily polluted from the time a baby takes their first breath, a critical period during which the foundations of their cognitive and physical development are laid. There is a lot of evidence that air pollution negatively impacts a child’s physical health, his right to education, and his right to play. There are many factors that can negatively impact the development of the brain and can contribute to behavioural or mental health issues as well.
- Those who are marginalized are the ones who are most affected.
Air pollution often has the most severe effects on those who are least responsible for it, and they often suffer the most. Undoubtedly, the poorest and most marginalized communities are most likely to live in overburdened neighbourhoods or work in places with a high level of pollution that adversely affects their health. Their health problems prevent them from attending school or working, further exacerbating poverty and inequality by preventing them from attending school and working.
- The cities we live in should be liveable, sustainable, and comfortable.
There are many cities all around the world that prioritise the movement of cars over the movement of people. According to projections, approximately 68% of the world’s population will be living in urban areas by the year 2050. It should be noted, however, that only half of the urban population in the world has convenient access to public transportation. As city dwellers, the quality of the air we breathe, as well as our health, safety, and wellbeing are directly associated with how our cities are designed, as well as how we travel.
It is important that funders and campaigners understand what they can do to help
Taking action on air pollution is a great way to tackle some of our biggest problems at the same time, and it will pay for itself many times over in the long run. In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and to build a fairer, greener and more equitable future, clean air plays a crucial role that is underappreciated yet critical to their achievement. Those who fund or campaign on behalf of this effort can contribute in six different ways:
- Develop a better understanding of the benefits of clean air within your organization and strengthen your team’s understanding of these benefits.
- As part of your communication, advocacy, and lobbying efforts, discuss how clean air benefits your work, and demonstrate how it has a positive impact on your work.
- Assist in delivering clean air by applying your expertise in addressing specific issues related to clean air to the problem at hand.
- You can use data and evidence on air pollution in order to gain a better understanding of how air pollution affects your work and vice versa.
- Build alliances with the communities you serve so that you are able to reach out to those who are most affected by the issue.
- The aim of this project is to demonstrate the need for more efficient funding and development projects that address several development goals at once.
Find out more about the benefits of tackling air pollution in our new publication, Clean Air is Everyone’s Business, and find out how funders and campaigners can incorporate clean air into their activities by reading the document.
