Nairobi, Sep 7
The world marked the fifth annual International Day of Clean Air for blue skies on Saturday, with calls for investment in clean air solutions as air pollution is increasingly causing public health, environmental, and economic problems.
More than 99 per cent of humanity is now breathing polluted air, leading to more than eight million annual deaths, including more than 700,000 children under five.
Dirty air disproportionately affects more vulnerable populations such as women, children and older people.
Air pollution has become the second leading risk factor for early death globally, overtaking tobacco for adults and second only to malnutrition for children under five. Yet despite the already high and still rising economic, environmental and existential impact of air pollution, which each year costs the world $8.1 trillion in health damages alone, less than one per cent of international development funding is dedicated to tackling it.
Led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), this year’s theme focuses on amplifying global calls to invest in #CleanAirNow to ensure a healthier and more prosperous future for people and the planet.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen used her Clean Air Day message to call for greater investment in air pollution solutions in all societies, and an end to the violation of every human being’s fundamental right to breathe clean air.
Events across the world marked the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies: South Africa held a two-day conference, and UNEP supported a webinar to highlight how African cities can avoid open burning of waste.
The good news is that air pollution is preventable, and people around the world are stepping up to address the crisis.