2nd WHO Conference on Air Pollution and Health

Prelims – General issues on Environmental ecology, Climate Change; Current Events of International Importance.

Why in News?

Recently, the second World Health Organisation (WHO) conference on air pollution and health was concluded.

• Conference location - Colombian city of Cartagena
• Organizers - Jointly organized by WHO and the Government of Colombia
• Participants - Over 700 participants including government representatives, U.N. agencies, civil society, scientists, and health societies.
• Goal - A shared goal to reduce the health impacts by 50% by 2040 was agreed upon to save millions of lives every year.
• Impact of Air Pollution - Air pollution claims more victims than violence itself and poisoning our air costs lives in silence.
• Participant’s commitments - More than 50 countries, cities and organisations announced major commitments to tackle air pollution and safeguard health.
• India’s commitment - India has committed to supporting the health sector with actions in alignment with the National Clean Air Programme to reduce the health impacts of air pollution by 2040.
• It also committed to strengthen air pollution and noncommunicable disease surveillance, promote cleaner cooking energy, particularly for vulnerable populations, and support clinicians in protecting at-risk patients.

National Clean Air Programme aims at 40% reduction in particulate matter by 2026.

The acceptable annual standard for PM2.5 is 40 micrograms per cubic metre and PM10 is 60 microgram per cubic metre.

• Spain’s carbon-neutral health-care system - Spain assured that they are “committed to achieve” a carbon-neutral health-care system by 2050 through emission reduction, multi-sectoral collaboration and promoting innovation.
• Forum for International Cooperation on Air Pollution (FICAP) - The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland reaffirmed its commitment to tackling air pollution by chairing the Forum and publishing an Air Quality Strategy.

The purpose of the Forum for International Cooperation on Air Pollution (FICAP) is to promote international collaboration towards preventing and reducing air pollution to improve air quality globally.

It is co-lead by Sweden and the United Kingdom and open to participation from all regions, countries, NGOs and IGOs, researchers and industry associations.

• C40 cities commitment - On behalf of the co-chairs of C40 cities, representing almost 100 of the world’s biggest cities, the Deputy Mayor of London assured supporting WHO’s 2040 target and roadmap.

C40 is a global network of mayors of the world’s leading cities that are united in action to confront the climate crisis. (Indian Cities – Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi)

• Clean Air Fund (CAF) - It committed to continuing to support WHO in demonstrating the benefits of life-saving clean air actions.
• It also committed to allocate an additional US$ 90 million over the next two years for climate and health efforts.

The Clean Air Fund is a philanthropic initiative with a mission to tackle air pollution around the world and brings together funders, researchers, policy makers and campaigners to find and scale solutions that will provide clean air for all.

Reference

The Hindu | WHO conference