Experts of the UN Environment Program have prepared examples of five cities that actively deal with the problem of air pollution.
Among them are the cities of Colombia, Poland, South Korea, Ghana and Thailand, reports UNEP.
The article noted that air pollution was called the most acute environmental problem of our time, which also contributes to climate change.
Around 9 out of 10 people around the world breathe polluted air, which increases the risk of developing asthma, heart disease and lung cancer. The poorest urban dwellers suffer the most from such pollution.
Bogotá, Colombia
Bogotá is one of the leaders in Latin America in reducing air pollution. The city is electrifying its public transport network and aims to fully electrify its metro system, as well as promoting cycling, as part of a wide-ranging plan to reduce air pollution by 10% by 2024.
Traffic and forest fires account for the majority of Bogotá's air pollution.
Warsaw, Poland
Poland is home to 36 of the 50 most polluted cities in the EU, and poor air quality leads to 47,500 premature deaths per year.
In 2022, Warsaw, together with the Clean Air Fund and Bloomberg Philanthropies, launched the "Breathe, Warsaw!" campaign. Its purpose is to improve air quality in the city. Currently, the largest network of air sensors (165 pieces) has been installed throughout Warsaw. This will help to pinpoint the sources of pollution.
In addition, "Breathe, Warsaw!" will provide technical assistance for the phase-out of coal-fired heating and the creation of a low-emission zone by 2024.
Seoul, South Korea
PM2.5 levels in Seoul, home to 26 million people, are about twice as high as in other major cities in developed countries. In 2020, the city announced that by 2025 it would ban the use of diesel vehicles in all fleets – private and public transport.
"Meanwhile, the partnership with the UN Environment Program will allow us to learn the lessons learned over the past 15 years in the field of air quality improvement and help share this experience with other cities in the region," the article says.
Accra, Ghana
Accra has become the first African city to join the BreatheLife campaign, and is seen as a leader among the continent's cities in fighting air pollution. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 28,000 people die prematurely each year as a result of air pollution, while the average level of air pollution in Ghana's capital city is five times higher than WHO guidelines.
The city launched a campaign to inform people about the health hazards of indoor stoves and against the practice of burning garbage by local residents. A joint effort between WHO and the Coalition for Climate and Clean Air aims to support a city-wide assessment of the health benefits of transitioning to greener transportation, waste disposal and household energy systems.
Bangkok, Thailand
“Given that Bangkok's traffic is some of the worst in the world, it's no surprise that the city is often covered in air pollution. In 2020, hundreds of schools were forced to close as levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air reached dangerous levels. The city has launched a number of initiatives to combat both air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions," the article noted.
The "Green Bangkok 2030" project, launched in 2019, aims to increase the share of green spaces in the city to 10 square meters. m per person, so that trees cover 30 percent of the total area of the city, and pedestrian paths meet international standards. At the first stage of the project, it is planned to open eleven parks, as well as a 15-kilometer green road, all with the aim of reducing dependence on private transport, thereby reducing environmental pollution.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that in Poland, a new cannon was installed in the city of Kalwaria-Zebzydowska, which uses sound waves to propel toxic particles higher into the atmosphere. It will help to deal with high levels of smog in country.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, the number of deaths due to air pollution reaches 7 million annually.
