WHO says most of air pollution-related deaths are from non-communicable diseases and in terms of global disease burden, air pollution is the cause of over one-third deaths from stroke, lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases

Nepal’s performance seems to be worst when it comes to protecting environment and combating air pollution. Nepal is among the bottom five countries on the Environmental Performance Index 2018, plummeting 27 points from 149 in 2016, according to a biennial report by Yale and Columbia Universities along with the World Economic Forum.

Nepal’s air quality was recently reported as the worst in the South Asia region. Air pollution in Nepal, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley, has emerged as a serious environmental health risk.

Rapid urbanisation, unplanned development activities, smoke from brick kilns, ongoing road widening drive and construction works for the Melamchi Water Supply project and increasing number of vehicles have contributed in making Kathmandu one of the most polluted cities in the world.

Furthermore, the concentration of particulate matter is observed higher during night in winter because of the formation of inversion layer which acts as the blanket to trap pollutants. The Particulate Matter (PM2.5) concentration in Kathmandu is five times more than the National Ambient Air Quality Standard of Nepal set by the government, and way more than the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard.

Most of air pollution-related deaths are from non-communicable diseases and in terms of global disease burden, air pollution is the cause of over one-third deaths from stroke, lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases, says the WHO. One-quarter of deaths occur due to ischemic heart disease. According to a WHO report, nearly 740 people died from acute lower respiratory infection, 1,770 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, 932 from lung cancer, 3,328 from ischemic heart disease and 3,183 from stroke in Nepal in 2016.

More than 40 per cent vehicles plying the Kathmandu roads with green stickers have been found to be exceeding the emission level set by the government. Emission from the rising number of vehicles tops the list of reasons for pollution in Kathmandu. However, the number of vehicles being registered in Kathmandu is rapidly increasing. Weak institutions, corruption and lack of technology are also adding to Kathmandu’s air pollution. Over the years, the government has made no significant efforts to improve air quality and mitigate the risks except for introducing policies and programmes, which often go unimplemented.

More efforts and investments are required to combat Kathmandu’s air pollution. One of the key issues is monitoring of air quality by using standard, good quality and practically identical strategies and instruments. This data should be then made accessible.

The EPI report says low scores on the index are indicative of the need for national sustainability efforts on a number of fronts, especially cleaning up air quality, protecting biodiversity, and reducing green-house gas emissions, according to researchers. In a country like Nepal, low scores have been attributed to weak governance, lack of proper policies and non-implementation of programmes.

The WHO says one of the major concerns in countries like Nepal is that there is no reliable public transport system which needs to be strengthened and alternative mode of transport such as cycling for short routes must be encouraged by creating safe cycling routes. In Kathmandu, 41 per cent of people travel by foot while 2 percent people use bicycles. So, walking and cycling should be made more convenient. It is strange that there is a six-lane road to connect Kathmandu with Bhaktapur but it does not have a dedicated lane for bicycles. Kathmandu roads seriously lack pathways and overhead bridges for pedestrians.

According to data from traffic police, there were 5,000 accidents and 80 deaths along the Kathmandu-Bhaktapur road in the last five years.

Recently, the issue of lack of bicycle lane and footpaths along the Kathmandu-Koteshwor road became a hot topic for discussion. We are spending a lot of money for the construction of roads, where more vehicles will ply and emit more smoke, but we have failed to pay attention to one of the major serious health concerns — air pollution.

Mass transportation system should be the focus of the government. Similarly, electric vehicles should be promoted. Brick kilns around the Capital city are a major contributor to air pollution. Concrete initiatives should be taken to address this issue.

Government should also make implementation and monitoring teams more effective to make sure the policy and laws are not violated and polluters are made to pay for the damage to human health and the environment.

While air pollution spares none, children under the age of five with their young organs, immune systems and brains are particularly vulnerable at that stage of development. Two reports from the WHO last year offered new insights into how serious a risk

the rising air pollution poses. Lack of sanitation, unsafe water and air pollution claim 1.7 million young lives every year, the reports said. As a signatory to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which includes several ambitious targets to reduce air pollution related death by 2030, Nepal needs to step up efforts to combat air pollution.