https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc Made with a dash of pollution en-us 2021-07-29 23:05:43 UTC 2021-08-04 04:43:19 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f4a8.png graceweightman https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1664431004 - Air quality in China has rapidly deteriorated due to overpopulation in city and urbanised areas --> leads to more occupations in factories 
- Thick, toxic smog covers the sky, intense humidity + temperatures, extreme weather events (heat waves, heavy precipitation)
- China has reduced its iron and steel making capacity and has shut down coal mines. The government has also introduced aggressive afforestation and reforestation programmes like the Great Green Wall and planted more than 35 billion trees across 12 provinces]]> 2021-07-29 23:08:08 UTC https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1664431004 graceweightman https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1664437398 - A sacred river in India has turned into toxic sludge and has become inundated with waste and sewage from burgeoning cities, industrial hubs and the millions of devotees who regularly bathe and partake in other hygiene routines in the river. 
- Too much water is being removed for farming and other uses, mountains of rubbish and under waste are visible piled up in various parts of the river or floating downstream
- The Indian government committed nearly $3 billion of funds to a five year clean up of the Ganges, to be completed in 2020. Major corporations have agreed to clean the surface of the river with trash skimming machines and booms.]]> 2021-07-29 23:22:47 UTC https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1664437398 graceweightman https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1664443355 - Bangladesh was named the most polluted city in the 2019 World Air Quality report, with the annual average of PM2.5 (particle matter) concentration 83.3 micrograms per cubic metre 
- The government is considering different interventions to reduce emissions from those sources by adopting conversion of diesel/petrol vehicles to CNG, increasing traffic speed in the city and by introducing green technologies for brick production]]> 2021-07-29 23:35:44 UTC https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1664443355 graceweightman https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668376835 Pakistan is home to wide range of environmental issues; air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, climate change, pesticide misuse, soil erosion, natural disasters, desertification and flooding. These issues are getting worse as the country's economy expands and the population grows. Although NGOs and the government departments have taken initiatives to stop environmental degradation, Pakistan's environmental issues still remain at large ]]> 2021-08-04 02:01:29 UTC https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668376835 graceweightman https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668405602 On the coldest days of the year, daily average of PM2.5 pollution levels reach 687 micrograms per cubic meter — 27 times the level WHO recommends as safe. The most important source of air pollution comes from coal-burning stoves in the “ger” districts (informal settlements) during the cold season.
Children are the most vulnerable to adverse health effects of air pollution from the day they are conceived. Air pollution is also linked with diseases that can be highly damaging for children, such as bronchitis and asthma. UNICEF is working closely with the Government of Mongolia to:

• Improve health workers' knowledge and skills to treat children with pneumonia, asthma and other chronic respiratory illnesses
• Increase families‘ access to affordable and good quality medication, focusing on the most disadvantaged
• Increase coverage of pneumonia vaccines and treatment in community care centres
• Further raise awareness on health impact of air pollution to the general public, government and civil society
• Work with communities to change behaviors and provide practical information to parents on protecting children from air pollution (including tobacco smoke) during pregnancy and early childhood as well as preventing and protecting from pneumonia
• Continue to call for joint efforts for urgent and coordinated action to reduce the devastating effect of air pollution on children’s health

]]> 2021-08-04 02:31:59 UTC https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668405602 graceweightman https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668530486 In Afghanistan, it is estimated that HAP (Household Air Pollution) causes over 27 000 deaths per year, whereas Ambient Air Pollution (outdoor) causes over 11 000 deaths annually. An estimated 3000 Afghans die due to second-hand smoke every year ]]> 2021-08-04 04:37:12 UTC https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668530486 graceweightman https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668532084 In accordance with the World Health Organization's guidelines, the air quality in Oman is considered unsafe - the most recent data indicates the country's annual mean concentration of PM2.5 is 41 µg/m3, exceeding the recommended maximum of 10 µg/m3. 

Contributors to poor air quality in Oman include crude oil production and refining and vehicle emissions

]]> 2021-08-04 04:39:05 UTC https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668532084 graceweightman https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668532704 In accordance with the World Health Organization's guidelines, the air quality in Qatar is considered unsafe. The most recent data indicates the country's annual mean concentration of PM2.5 is 91 µg/m3 which exceeds the recommended maximum of 10 µg/m3. 

Contributors to poor air quality in Qatar include dust storms, vehicle emissions, and industrial emissions.]]> 2021-08-04 04:39:52 UTC https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668532704 graceweightman https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668534204 The average Indonesian can expect to lose 1.2 years of life expectancy at current pollution levels, according to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), because air quality fails to meet the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline for concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The pollution index, developed by Michael Greenstone and his colleagues at the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), shows that the health effects are much larger in parts of the country with particularly high particulate pollution. Residents of Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, for example, can expect to lose 2.3 years of life expectancy if 2016 pollution levels are sustained over their lifetime. The loss of life expectancy in some regions is more than 4 years. Importantly, AQLI data show that air quality was not a pressing problem in Indonesia just two decades ago, but that air quality declined substantially in recent decades—with the steepest decline since 2013.]]> 2021-08-04 04:41:38 UTC https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668534204 graceweightman https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668535635 Air pollution represents a major problem in the cities of Kyrgyzstan, due to rapid increase of traffic. Water pollution is also a significant issue, especially in the south, where water-borne diseases are prevalent. In agricultural areas, excessive irrigation and unrestrained use of agricultural chemicals have severely degraded soil quality. Livestock overgrazing has contributed to soil degradation, and a significant portion of Kyrgyzstan’s grassland has disappeared. Kyrgyzstan has many uranium and gold mines, which are a threat to the environment, due to releasing toxic substances into the soil.]]> 2021-08-04 04:43:16 UTC https://padlet.com/graceweightman/8yuo2rvnmup1migc/wish/1668535635