Recent data from the experts involved with International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) reveal hazardous levels of particulate matter (PM), posing a severe risk to human health, especially for vulnerable populations in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and parts of India. With PM2.5 levels exceeding 205 µg/m3 in Kathmandu on 11 April and PM10 levels reaching a staggering 430 µg/m3 on 13 April, the situation demands immediate attention. As an organisation dedicated to sustainable mountain development, ICIMOD has shown its deep concern about the impacts of air pollution on human health and the environment. ”We believe your expertise in environmental reporting could help raise awareness about this critical issue and advocate for policy changes and measures to mitigate the impacts of air pollution” ICIMOD mentioned. ICIMOD further said that it is providing accurate information and connect you with our air pollution experts for further insights and analysis to raise awareness, drive action, and protect the health and well-being of our communities.
Air pollution poses severe threats to human health – contributing to neonatal morbidity, stunting and learning delays in children, and with prolonged exposure linked to respiratory illnesses, heart diseases, and other health complications, especially for vulnerable populations. ”Worldwide, air pollution is responsible for more deaths annually than COVID-19 to date,” says Dr Bhupesh Adhikary, Senior Air Quality Specialist, ICIMOD. “Despite this catastrophic death toll, we aren’t tackling this invisible killer with anything like the same energy. It’s time we put efforts to improve air quality on a war footing. The good news is that we know what is causing air pollution in our region, and how to make rapid progress to reduce our exposure to pollutants. We urge Governments, donors and NGOs to work with us to build a coalition to really drive action on clean air.” The spike in air pollution in the region is due to increase in forest fires, which are increasing in number and severity due to climate change, and residential biomass burning. As well as the impacts to human health, pollutants cause extensive damage to the region’s rich biodiversity and accelerate climate impacts. Rising temperatures are causing glaciers in the region to melt at an alarming rate: if global warming exceeds 2°C, it will result in losing 50% of the glaciers in the region, leading to changes in river flows which can have serious consequences for freshwater biodiversity, agriculture, drinking water, and other human needs. Black carbon or soot emitted from forest fires and burning crop residues after harvest can accelerate the melting of high mountain glaciers, further contributing to their decline. ICIMOD works with our partners to generate both ground-based observation data and satellite/model-based data on air quality. These evidences are critical for policy formulation and implementation.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), is a regional knowledge development and learning centre serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush Himalaya – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan – and based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Globalisation and climate change have an increasing influence on the stability of fragile mountain ecosystems and the livelihoods of mountain people. ICIMOD aims to assist mountain people to understand these changes, adapt to them, and make the most of new opportunities, while addressing upstream-downstream issues. We support regional transboundary programmes through partnership with regional partner institutions, facilitate the exchange of experience, and serve as a regional knowledge hub. We strengthen networking among regional and global centres of excellence. Overall, we are working to develop an economically and environmentally sound mountain ecosystem to improve the living standards of mountain populations and to sustain vital ecosystem services for the billions of people living downstream – now, and for the future.
