IMPACT OF AIR POLLUTION IN INDIA

 THE STATE OF GLOBAL AIR REPORT 2020

AN OVERVIEW

As per State of global air report 2020 6.7 MN

ANNUAL DEATHS GLOBALLY IN 2019 1.67 MN

DEATHS IN INDIA DUE TO DIRTY AIR

Stating that air pollution is globally the 4th highest cause of death, the report says it is the largest risk factor for deaths in India.

TRENDS IN AMBIENT PM2.5 EXPOSURE

Countries with some of the highest exposures in the world - India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, continue to see increases

Change in PM23 exposure (ug/m)

*Note: Change in population-weighted annual average PM2.5 exposure, 2010-2019

BURDEN OF DISEASE FROM AMBIENT FINE PARTICLE AIR POLLUTION

Ambient PM2.5 is the largest driver of air pollution's burden of disease worldwide.

India and China

Globally, the PM2.5-attributable mortality burden is dominated by China and India.

Together, these 2 countries accounted for 58% of worldwide deaths in 2019.

CHANGE IN TOTAL DEATHS DUE TO PM2.5

in 10 most populous countries (2010-2019)

Number of deaths

IMPACT OF LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO AIR POLLUTION

In India in 2019, over 1.67 mn annual deaths were due to stroke, heart attack, diabetes, lung cancer, chronic lung diseases, and neonatal diseases as a result of long-term exposure to outdoor and household air pollution.

IMPACT ON THE NEWBORNS

The first-ever comprehensive analysis of air pollution's global impact on newborns has found that high particulate matter contributed to the deaths of more than 116,000 Indian infants who did not survive their first month.

MARGINAL DECLINE

Indian government has claimed that average pollution levels have been declining over the past 3 years but these have been marginal, particularly in the Indo-Gangetic plains which see extremely high particulate matter pollution especially during winter.