Air pollution is the leading environmental health risk globally with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that air pollution is responsible for a staggering 7 million premature deaths worldwide. In India, nearly 77% of India’s population is regularly exposed to air pollution levels above the National Ambient Air Quality Standards safe limits.
‘Dirty air’ is often not visible and particulate matter—often referred by size in micrometers, PM10, PM2.5 and PM1—can lead to cardiac distress and diseases such as asthma and cancer with smaller particles entering deeper into the lungs. Worsening air pollution not only impacts human health, it also reduces crop yields, alters rain fall patterns and affects climate change.
The sources and causes of air pollution vary by place, across seasons and over time posing a daunting challenge to human development. But this problem can be resolved by shifting the conversation from grievances to determining the cause of pollution and how best it ought to be tackle for the benefits of reducing air pollution far outweigh the costs of deployment.
The Surat Clean Air Action Plan (SCAP), developed by WRI India in collaboration with Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF), offers technical interventions and suggests mitigation actions to strengthen institutional road maps.
One of the major causes of particulate matter emissions in Surat city is construction. The 'Handbook of Clean Construction Practices' created by WRI India in partnership with the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), CREDAI, and Bloomberg Philanthropies, offers guidelines, mitigation measures and best practices to lower air pollution emissions from various on-site construction activities.
World Resources Institute (WRI), the Environmental Defense Fund, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) established Clean Air Catalyst to help cities reduce air pollution by advancing solutions that safeguard health, foster equitable prosperity, and address the climate crisis. The pilot is currently underway in Indore city, Madhya Pradesh and Jakarta, Indonesia. Clean Air Catalyst is currently working with Indore Municipal Corporation and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board to mitigate air pollution and related issues. Local and national air quality specialists, domain and sector-specific professionals from WRI Global and WRI India, and community stakeholders are leading the efforts.