In Nepal and Kathmandu the annual premature death due to air pollution hit 37,399 and 9943 respectively, according to a Republica news report published on 23 November 2019. Air Pollution and Your Health - National Institute of Environmental We need to be extra careful because by the time we reach peak pollution levels, we will be gearing up to launch Visit Nepal 2020, said Tuladhar. Since PM2.5 are so small, they are also likely to hang in the air for longer, increasing the chances that they will be inhaled. Benchmarks . The government should ban the use of old vehicles. In . 25th Jan, 2023. The funds are the first . A breakdown of whats known, and whats not, about the incident and its aftermath. This company thinks bacteria can help fix fashion's water pollution problem. Nepal closes schools as air pollution hits alarming levels - Al Jazeera News about Air Pollution, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times. A visit to East Palestine from the head of the E.P.A. Air pollution regularly exceeds recommended safe levels. Thenumberofvehiclesin the valley during the last two decades has increasedninefold,and reached 922,900 in total during 2015, according to the Department of Transport Management inNepal. The paradox of air pollution in the Kathmandu valley New WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) provide clear evidence of the damage air pollution inflicts on human health, at even lower concentrations than previously understood. New disease caused by plastics discovered in seabirds In Nepal and Kathmandu the annual premature death due to air pollution hit 37,399 and 9943 respectively, according to a Republica news report published on 23 November 2019. The Threat of Ambient Air Pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal - ResearchGate I dont remember this level of pollution in Kathmandu in the past, Khadka told Reuters. The coverage of environmental issues in FM radios in Nepal: the current Water Pollution Remains Top Environmental Concern in U.S. - Gallup.com Dust from construction works, exhaust from old, poorly maintained vehicles and smoke from coal-burning brick kilns blend in a murky haze that hangs over the ancient city of four million people, raising the risk of cancer, stroke, asthma and high blood pressure, experts say. On Wednesday, the daily average PM 2.5 level for the western city clocked around 200, which is deemed unhealthy. editors@nepalitimes.com | www.nepalitimes.com | www.himalmedia.com | Tel: 01-5005602 This indicates, around a quarterof the total deaths due to air pollution in Nepal are in Kathmandu. By Sophie Wodzak,Emily Cochrane and Lisa Friedman. The level between 401 and 500 is very hazardous. Krishna Kumar, a local business person at Kirtipur explained: Many businesses have gone down due to high amount of road dust. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Human error eyed as cause of Yeti Airlines crash that killed 72 people, 2 Americans, 2 permanent US residents among 72 dead in Nepal plane crash, Father of flight attendant urged her not to work before Nepal crash left 70 dead, Nepal to send data recorder from crash to France. New Delhis AQI levels, which have been consistently high all winter because of crop residue burning as well as vehicular and industrial pollution, got a respite on Monday because of rainfall. Southwesterly winds have carried in some clouds with dust particles, mainly in the western parts of Tarai districts like Kanchanpur, Banke and Bardiya, Poudel told the Post. And even though the nature of pollution in New Delhi and Kathmandu is varied, Nepal needs to learn to deal with its own toxic air. The effect of dust is not limited to human beings, but is also felt by plants, particularly to those closer to the road. New Delhis AQI levels, which have been consistently high all winter because of crop residue burning as well as vehicular and industrial pollution, got a respite on Monday because of rainfall. Officials for the railroad company pulled out hours earlier, infuriating some residents who said they wanted answers from the company. , Change the direct speech to indirect speech; She said, "I am going to London today". Nepal, with a population of 30 million people, is located in the Himalayas between China and India, two of the world's biggest polluters. Advertisement Southeast Asia has emerged as a hot spot for plastic pollution . Only a year ago, snow clad mountains shone brightly in the winter and we could see the mountains and hills clearly. The victims of air pollutionurgently requirean appropriate action plan for mitigating these problems. The number of vehicles in the valley during the last two decades has increased ninefold, and reached 922,900 in total during 2015, according to the Department of Transport Management in Nepal. This is a very great decision taken by the government. In addition, vehicles passing over broken or traveled road release huge amounts of dust particles into the air, worsening air pollution further. New WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines aim to save millions of lives Air quality in the capital has deteriorated recently but average pollution readings were not available. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Of six environmental problems facing the U.S., Americans remain most worried about those that affect water quality. , , , , . An article by three Brazilian researchers published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research aims to contribute to progress in this field by proposing a novel perspective on particle . Arjun Khadka, 65, who owns a grocery store in Kathmandu, said he experienced itching and burning sensations in the eyes and nose which could be due to pollution. This is what we learned. All of these vehicles degrade the air quality by emitting huge quantities of smoke into the ambient environment. Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, has a population of around 3.5 million. Environmental Health issues are a not major risk factors for the Global Burden of Diseases. Download the latest essay from our Megamorphosis series now. Arjun Khadka, 65, who owns a grocery store in Kathmandu, said he experienced itching and burning sensations in the eyes and nose which could be due to pollution. Air pollution: Even worse than we thought - WHO - BBC News Factors contributing to this level of pollution are local, said Shankar Prasad Paudel, information officer with the Department of Environment. Write a newspaper article on environmental pollution in Nepal to be published in a newspaper. . Nepal is not far behind with 98% of its people living in such areas. Phoenix Motorcars wins grant with Houston Metro and EasyMile for I have started wearing a mask whenever Im outdoors.. In Nepal and Kathmandu the annual premature death due to air pollution hit37,399 and 9943 respectively,according to aRepublica news report published on 23 November 2019. The Art of Dealing with Breaking Up: Get over those blues and Take Break-Ups Lightly. A man performs morning workout with smog covering Kathmandu, Copyright 2023 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. Why this advert is dangerous to people and nature and shows advertising needs new controls. The moves sets the stage for the agency to issue tighter controls on mercury, a neurotoxin emitted by power plants. Air pollution is more dangerous than smoking. It has a negative impact on various environmental aspects which directly or indirectly affect the quality of human health. Prices range from Rs10 to Rs10,500. Of course, a masks effectiveness depends on how well it fits on the face, but a simple, disposable surgical mask can be more cost-effective than those fancy looking expensive ones. As we see the readings from air quality metres located in various stations of the country, we find that Simara has the poorest air quality. Even before Covid-19, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned that poorair qualityin northern India and the Tarai was already thereducing average lifespanof tens of millions of people by 3.7 years. Air qualities in cities like Birgunj, Nepalgunj and Bhairahawa get worse due to local air pollution, supported by stagnation of air in this season where there is an inversion of temperature, a reversal of the normal behaviour of temperature in the troposphere, said Poudel, the meteorologist. China will be the host nation and will showcase its dramatic progress in cutting pollution. Nepal, with a population of 30 million people, is located in the Himalayas between China and India, two of the world's biggest polluters. A new disease caused solely by plastics has been discovered in seabirds. Fewer, though still substantial minorities ranging between 40% and 45% . 2022: Emergency mode for the environment - UNEP This has a negative impact on sectors that are critical to many economies, including tourism, shipping and fisheries. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Long-term exposure to air pollution can cause many of the health conditions associated with increased vulnerability to Covid-19, such as diabetes and chronic heart and lung diseases, said theState of Global Air 2020released last October. Furthermore, the life expectancy in the Kathmandu Valley is four years less than that of other Nepalese regions. Air pollution is slashing years off the lives of billions, report finds Phil Murphy but which has yet to take full effect should prevent the . We could barely see the birds flying around before but nowadays we can see the birds chirping and flying up in the sky due to decrease in air pollution. The birds identified as having the disease, named . These are the key points that needs to be followed in order to bring a positive change in the environment. Environment News, Earth News, Global Warming, Wild Life, Carbon Trading Efforts for improving air quality should be of utmost priority now so that safety of citizens' health can be ensured. To The Editor The . Air pollution in Kathmandu - The Ecologist All of these vehicles degrade the air quality byemitting huge quantitiesof smoke into the ambient environment. Ever since the lockdown started in Nepal, there has been a . The rapid use of fossil fuels, increase in deforestation, unstable use of natural resources, overuse of pesticides and other chemicals, sewage and wastewater, nuclear waste, industrialization, urbanization, use of plastics and a lot more factors contribute to environmental pollution. When you can frame the problem in terms of how many people are dying and how much productivity is lost, then it becomes much more urgent.. Required fields are marked *. This may collapse the whole ecosystem in general. Kathmandu valley requireshalf of the total gasoline consumed in Nepal. Most make various performance claims based on lab tests but factors like the masks fit play important roles. There has also been a 25% increase in the number of vehicles on the roads. The traffic on the most part seemed to move along without any fuss. The country of 30 million people lies in the Himalayas between China and India, two of the worlds biggest polluters. Air pollution is cutting more than 2 years from billions of - CNN Research on microplastic concentration in aquatic environment is attracting scientists from developing countries, but in Nepal no information regarding microplastic in freshwater system is available. Majorities express "a great deal" of worry about the pollution of both drinking water (56%) and rivers, lakes and reservoirs (53%). Pollution from India unlikely to reach Kathmandu, but Nepal needs to On hand was Marcia Bernicat of the US Bureau of Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs. "I don't remember this level of pollution in Kathmandu in the past," Khadka told Reuters. Change to compound, We took a tour of the most amazing Chateau during our holiday, which we discovered . by accident.a. The gendered impacts of indoor air pollution in Nepal's - ICIMOD Atmospheric greenhouse gases reach record high, latest essay from our Megamorphosis series now. New Study Finds Ocean Pollution a Threat to Human Health 1 ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN NEPAL Prof. Dr. Meen B. Poudyal Chhetri a and Anil Shakyab a Disaster Preparedness Network, Kathmandu, Nepal b Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, Government of Nepal ABSTRACT Environmental degradation is a very big problem in Nepal which is causing human health The guidelines recommend new air quality levels to protect the health of populations, by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which . Q : Which one is the capital of Spain. 'We need to transform our commitment into action that will have an impact on the gases that drive climate change.'. Environmental issues in Nepal - Wikipedia Air quality in the capital has deteriorated recently but average pollution readings were not available. Air quality in the capital has deteriorated recently but average pollution readings were not available. Because indoor air pollution levels are also high, ideally you would have to wear a mask 24 hours a day, says Pangeni. The Threat of Ambient Air Pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal - Hindawi A Love Beyond Measure: The Unforgettable Reunion, , . The government has declared a public health emergency, asking schools to shut down and residents to avoid outdoor physical activities, especially during morning and late evening. Looking at the air quality data over the last few years, it appears that Nepal made amarked improvement from 2018 to 2019, with a PM2.5 reading of 54.15 g/m beingrecorded as an average over 2018 as compared to 44.46 g/m in 2019. At times, it feels like my eyes are burning, said 34-year-old Sunil. 2426/077-78 Donate to The Ecologist and support high impact environmental journalism and analysis. Adriana Paulo de Sousa Oliveira, Paula Assemany, Lidiane Covell, Maria Lcia Calijuri. In Nepal, around 8,700 people, mainly women and children, die prematurely each year due to illnesses related to indoor air pollution from solid biomass fuel burning [8]. But air pollution issues are continue to increase. Nearly two weeks after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, confusing messages from government officials have frayed locals trust. News from Indian environment including wildlife like tiger, lion, elephants. By Leah Douglas. This year, I have already started feeling different. This is a grave threat to public health, the government should have declared an emergency and taken urgent measures to curb pollution, says environmental expert Bhushan Tuladhar. EPA to award $250 million in IRA funds to reduce climate pollution A general view of a street during a smoggy day as the government has orderedschoolsto close for four days after the air pollution climbed to hazardous levels, forcing millions of students to stay home across the country, in Kathmandu, Nepal March 30, 2021. The high mountains around the Kathmandu valley allows air pollution to accumulate inthe city. Globally, air pollution results in around seven million deaths annually. ? Q : Emu bird is found in the country. More than 65% of all deaths due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) in 2019 were linked to air pollution in Nepal. Says Pallavi Pant, air quality scientist at the Health Effects Institute: Exposures to air pollution have been shown to affect the human bodys immune defence, making an individual more susceptible to respiratory infections such as pneumonia., Editor Online: Sahina Shrestha | Executive Editor: Sonia Awale Thefts of the pollution control devices from cars and trucks more than quadrupled from 3,389 in 2019 to 14,433 in 2020, and jumped dramatically again in 2021 . Also, news . 'Enough pollution' in low-income NJ area with 1 power plant D espite public awareness and relentless media coverage, Kathmandu's air quality has worsened in the past two years. Thereportsays that 100% of the population in India lives in areas where PM2.5 levels are higher than the WHO Air Quality Guideline. This is a very unpleasant decision. This can significantly affect the local environment and the health of people living nearby. Recently the government has decided that the plastics that are less than 40 microns will be banned from use from the month of Shrawan 2078. No: 289512/78/079 VAT No: 610271654 Editor Ashok Silwal Email nepalnamcha@gmail.com, Copyright 2023, , All Rights Reserved | Designed with. Double whammy: air pollution and Covid-19, Photo: MONIKA DEUPALA n the past eight months of this, ir quality across Nepal has been deteriorating over the years., The first step in reducing air pollution is to let. The government has also decided to sell the natural minerals like sand, rocks, mud etc to India. But public outrage does not seem to translate into action to clean up the air. As reported by the World Bank, Nepal is one of the poorest nations in the world with an estimated GDP per capita of US$470. Apex court orders acceptance of writ against PM, dubbed one of the most polluted cities in the world, air pollution levels reaching nearly 10 times healthy limits, 22 of the worlds most polluted cities in 2018, ranked Nepal the eighth most polluted country, PM2.5 level for Kathmandu in 2018 was 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter (g/m3, deteriorating quality of air in Kathmandu Valley, Overextraction and shrinking open spaces cause groundwater depletion in Kathmandu Valley, As season of forest fires starts, authorities alert public to risks, History and politics of Nepals school education, Insurgency-era victims of sexual crimes still unheard. In Nepal and Kathmandu the annual premature death due to air pollution hit 37,399 and 9943 respectively, according to a Republica news report published on 23 November 2019. The agency, along with local and . "We found that the pollution exposure was really, really high, suggesting potential for substantial health impacts of air pollution in this region," says Gurung, who is now a doctoral candidate at F&ES. We should work for the betterment of the environment because the nature has provided a lot to us and we shouldnt be disgraceful towards it. Microplastic pollution in urban Lake Phewa, Nepal: the first report on Minnesota moves to crack down on catalytic converter thefts | AP News There is a proportionately very high consumption of gasoline and diesel in the valley. Your email address will not be published. Chandan Kumar Mandal is the environment and migration reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering labour migration and governance, as well as climate change, natural disasters, and wildlife. This is also indicated in maroon. This indicates, around a quarter of the total deaths due to air pollution in Nepal are in Kathmandu. "And it wasn't just the . As the new year gets underway, the world continues to grapple with a number of familiar challenges - the continued COVID-19 pandemic, resurgent wildfires, enduring crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. AQI levels in north India and Nepal on 5 January at 8AM showing Kathmandu's much higher pollution levels compared to New Delhi. I know..mom's got a lock on literally everythin so y we gotta wait..! In terms of air pollution, the 2016 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranked Nepal 177th out of 180 countries. Nepal is a landlocked nation with the current population of over 27 million people. Similarly, one-fifth of the total diesel is used in Kathmandu. But the Narayani's problems go back further. The government should really take a closer look at what their decision might lead the environment and the whole country to in the future. Sunil Paudel, Basudevs son, stopped going on morning walks last year after learning that Kathmandus air quality was reaching unsafe levels. Average life expectancy is reduced by at least four years in the worst-affected areas like Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan and other parts of the Tarai. When will women lead big political parties? The transport sector further contributes 30 percent of PM10 particles, which are smaller than a grain of sand and can easily pass through the hairs in our nose, second only to the construction sector, which emits 53 percent of the total PM10. Once again, Kathmandu breathes world's most polluted air, AQI hits 303. Long-term exposure to air pollution can cause many of the health conditions associated with increased vulnerability to Covid-19, such as diabetes and chronic heart and lung diseases, said the. Plastic pollution in oceans and other bodies of water continues to grow sharply and could more than double by 2030, according to an assessment released on Thursday by the UN Environment Programme ( UNEP ). The Ecologist is an environmental news and analysis website with a focus on environmental, social and economic justice. According to the 2017 Air Quality Management Action Plan for Kathmandu Valley, the transport sector contributes over 30 percent of total suspended particles (TSP), or 20,072 tonnes, into the air. Even before Covid-19, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned that poor, in northern India and the Tarai was already the. The values between 151 and 200 are categorised as unhealthy. A recent study by scientists from Peking University (China) and the University of Connecticut (USA) [1] has revealed that 1 in 15 lost pregnancies in South Asia may be due to air . Education ministry spokesman Deepak Sharma said about eight million students have been affected by the closures. Moreover, Kathmandu is ranked as one of the most polluted cities in Asia: according to the airvisual.com, Kathmandu is the seventh most polluted city. This trend is increasing rapidly and it is estimated that urban population will reach 60 million by 2040 [ 32 ]. FEATURED FUNDS. News from Indian environment including wildlife like tiger, lion, elephants. Therefore, it is advised that everyone should avoid all outdoor exertions. The World Air Quality Project's index stood at 515 at that time while that of the Department of Environment (DoE) stood at 490. One of those rivers is the Melamchi, about 25 . Because Nepals national government and municipalities have done little to reduce risk, citizens have adopted their own methods of personal protection: wearing masks, installing air purifiers at home and office, cancelling morning walks, and monitoring air pollution levels on apps before allowing children to play outside.