Prolonged exposure to pollution impedes children's development: USAID official

USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia Anjali Kaur today (3 June) said prolonged exposure to air pollution has detrimental effects on children's development and learning, and accounts for nearly 20% of deaths annually. 

"USAID is working in Bangladesh and across the South Asia region to address the root causes of this problem and scale up cleaner, greener, and more affordable sources of energy," she said.  

Harnessing sources like hydropower, solar, and wind can help reduce the carbon footprint by 8% by 2040, and create new job opportunities in renewable energy, Anjali said. 

She was speaking at an event titled "Save Your Breath: Policy Dialogue on Clean Air Imperatives," organised by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Shakti Foundation.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury spoke as the chief guest. 

Nasrul Hamid, state minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources of Bangladesh and Atiqul Islam, Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) also spoke at the event. 

"Let us commit to bridging science and air quality policy, and establishing stronger partnerships between government, development partners, science and academics, regulators, the private sector, and civil society to forge a roadmap towards clean air and a brighter and more prosperous future," Anjali said.

She said one of their most pressing priorities is mitigating the impacts of climate change and building a more sustainable future.  

"This is an immense challenge that requires collaboration among governments, businesses, and everyday people. We all have a part to play," she said.

Air pollution is one of the world's largest environmental health risks and causes more deaths than malaria, HIV/AIDS, lead poisoning, and tuberculosis combined.  

"Not only is it a threat to health  – air pollution has economic ramifications. In its recent Country Environmental Analysis on Bangladesh, the World Bank estimated that household and outdoor air pollution alone cost almost 9% of Bangladesh's GDP in 2019," Anjali said. 

She said this is a problem that affects everybody.  

"The entire population of over 170 million Bangladeshis are exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution. In Dhaka, as you know all too well, this problem is growing worse each year," Anjali said.

Air pollution does not affect everyone equally. It adversely impacts the elderly and children, poor people, and people with pre-existing health conditions.  

"We also share a history of working together to protect the environment and preserve Bangladesh's precious ecosystems," Anjali said.

These are important interventions in building sustainability over the longer term, but fighting climate change and curbing air pollution requires action now, she said.

The data on air quality in Dhaka paints a bleak picture. 

The US Embassy in Dhaka installed an air quality monitoring system in 2016, and it has recorded air quality every single hour since then.

The results show a remarkably consistent trend.  Every year starting in October, the air quality index (or AQI) begins to worsen.  It reaches its worst levels in January, and stays at those levels until March or April.  From May to September – the period we are in now – it improves somewhat, but it is still often at a level that is considered unhealthy for people.

From November 2023 to April 2024, over 80% of days in each month registered air quality levels considered "unhealthy" for the general population with an AQI of over 150. Up until last week's tropical cyclone, Dhaka hadn't had a day of "good" air quality – meaning an AQI of less than 50 – since November 2023.  

"That's six months without a "good" AQI.  Even with the rainstorm cleansing the air, May's monthly average AQI was 155 – a level deemed unhealthy for the general population," Anjali said.

"This is a complex challenge that requires multifaceted solutions. We applaud the Government of Bangladesh for your dedication to air quality management, and its recent work developing its draft national air quality management action plan," she said. 

She said they remain committed to partnering in these efforts.  

USAID is investing in air quality programming throughout the region, including in India and Nepal, and gleaned knowledge and best practices that might be applied here.  

"We've also seen success in mobilizing resilience efforts in Bangladesh at both the policy level, and implementation at the local level.  Municipalities and citizens are working together to improve waste management, water and sanitation, and in Dhaka and other cities like Khulna, where I visited last September to see these efforts in action," Anjali said. 

She said the challenges are immense, and they have no other choice but to act. "That is why we are all here today. We are keen to hear your ideas and exploring ways we can work together to achieve our shared goals."