These graphs below via Qz.com paint a compelling picture of air quality in India. In most western media discussions/stories about environmental pollution is often China-centric. One would expect China to be topping the charts when it comes to pollution, given the country’s ginormous population, its economic clout and the manufacturing prowess which earned it the “factory of the world” label, . But in reality, ‪#‎India‬ is the worst offender and it deserves far more scrutiny than China. 14 of the top 20 most polluted cities are in India and a not a single Chinese city made it to this list. Govt. of India should take urgent steps to combat this issue because of the risks it pose to public health. 

Image Courtesy: Quartz I Qz.com

Image Courtesy: Quartz I Qz.com

For what it is worth, the transportation sector is one of the major culprits, accounting for a significant portion of the overall emissions. While congestion in major cities continues to grow worse, the vehicle sales continues at a torrid pace and doesn’t show any signs of a slow down. To put this in perspective, I am borrowing the following points from the ICCT fact sheet:

• India’s vehicle population has grown from 50 million in 2003 to 130 million in 2013.
• Vehicle PM10 emissions have fallen 14% since 2003, but emissions will return to 2003 levels by 2017 due to vehicle population growth if new controls are not mandated

Another major source of pollution in India related to the transportation sector is the noise pollution, which requires a dedicated blog post by itself. So, one of these days I’ll get around to doing some research on that topic and write it up.

Related articles

• India’s air pollution is so bad it’s reducing life expectancy by 3.2 years
• Beijing’s Mayor Declares City To Be Unlivable Due To Life-Choking Smog
• Air Pollution Decreasing Life Span in India, Study Says

This chart comes from a report titled “The state of clean transport policy: A 2014 synthesis of vehicle and fuel policy developments” published by the International Council on Clean Transportation.

Air-pollutant emissions and public health

Exposure to outdoor air pollution resulted in 3.2 million early deaths worldwide in 2010 and ranks among the top ten health risks. Motorized transport is a major contributor to outdoor air pollution, particularly near major roadways and in urban areas with a high concentration of vehicle activity. The vast majority of health impacts from vehicle activity occur in India, China, Brazil, Mexico, and the countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. Implementing world-class vehicle emissions standards would reduce transport air pollution-related mortality from approximately 270,000 deaths to 71,000 deaths in 2030 globally, with benefits that are greatly concentrated in major cities. These estimates are limited strictly to exhaust emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from light- and heavy-duty on-road vehicles in urban areas and thus represent a conservative estimate of health impacts from transport.

Image courtesy: theICCT.org

This report summarizes advances in national and international regulations intended to reduce energy use, mitigate climate change, and control air pollution from motor vehicles and fuels across eleven major vehicle markets from January 2013 through August 2014. These eleven vehicle markets—China, the U.S., the European Union, Japan, Brazil, India, Russia, Canada, South Korea, Australia, and Mexico—represented 85% of total vehicle sales in 2013. Click here to access the report and the presser.

The Clean Air Asia India Office calls for applications from young, dynamic candidates as Project Assistant/Researchers to be based in Nepal (Clean Air Network Nepal) and Hong Kong (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) under the Fredkorpset Norway South- South exchange program. The duration is for twelve months starting from 1st November 2014.

Please see enclosed Terms of Reference or refer to link http://cleanairinitiative.org/portal/opportunities.

Eligibility Requirements

• A university (bachelor) or a masters degree in a course related to transport, environment fields, mass communication or social science e.g. environmental engineering, environmental sciences, urban planning, transport,*
• Minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in a comparable position on transport and/or climate change project management and networking.*
• Strong interest in research and data analysis.
• Ability to communicate effectively with excellent oral and written communication skills, proficient in English, with good interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary team
• Age requirement: 22-35 years old
• Open to Indian Nationals only

* Requirements for both the position are different. Please refer to the attached ToRs before applying.

Quoting reference application Research/ Project Assistant-Hong Kong or Research/ Project Assistant-Nepal on subject line, applicants should email their application letter and current CV (as Word attachments) to Ms. Gianina Panopio, center@cleanairasia.org, by27 August 2014.

All applicants should state the reasons for their interest in the position, relevant details of qualifications and experience, and contact details for three referees. Only short listed candidates will be contacted. For further information on the position you may contact Parthaa Bosu,parthaa.bosu@cleanairasia.org