A new report from The Lancet Countdown talks about serious problems caused by air pollution and climate change in India. It shares surprising numbers that show how bad air quality and higher temperatures affect people's health. The report says we need to take action to fix these issues and protect people's health.
In 2021, about 1.6 million people in India died because of air pollution. The report says that 38% of these deaths were due to using fossil fuels, especially coal and liquid gas. These worrying numbers show that we need to use cleaner energy sources to keep people healthy.
Air pollution is connected to many serious health problems, like breathing issues, heart problems, and lung cancer. Using fossil fuels makes the air quality worse, which can harm people's health. India needs to start using renewable energy sources to lower these health risks.
Effects of Heatwaves in India
The report talks about how rising temperatures affect people in India. From 2014 to 2023, babies and adults over 65 experienced an average of 7.7 and 8.4 days of heatwaves each year. This is a big increase of 47% for infants and 58% for older adults compared to the years 1990 to 1999. These heatwaves can be very harmful because they can make health problems worse, especially for people who are already vulnerable, like young children and older adults.
The report also says that people in India faced a moderate to high risk of heat stress for about 2,400 hours a year, which is roughly 100 days. This means that when they did light outdoor activities, like walking, they were exposed to too much heat. Because of this excessive heat, workers in India lost a total of 181 billion hours of work in 2023.
This is a 50% increase compared to the average lost work hours from 1990 to 1999. The loss of these work hours could mean a potential income loss of $141 billion for families, making it harder for them to manage their finances.
The latest report from The Lancet Countdown, released in 2024, shows that health risks from climate change are getting worse around the world. In 2023, people experienced 50 more days of extremely hot temperatures than what would have happened without climate change.
Also, extreme drought affected 48% of land worldwide, which is the second-highest level ever recorded. Because of these increasing heatwaves and droughts, 151 million more people are facing moderate to severe food insecurity compared to the average numbers from 1981 to 2010. This means more people are struggling to get enough food.
The report stresses that governments around the world need to take quick action to deal with the health risks caused by climate change. It was created with help from 122 top experts and organizations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO). The findings highlight that people in low-income countries are affected more by climate change because they experience more days with dangerous heat.
How does climate change affect infectious diseases?
The report also shows how climate change affects the spread of infectious diseases. Changes in temperature and rainfall can make it easier for certain diseases to spread, including those carried by mosquitoes. For example, the chance of getting dengue fever, which is spread by the Aedes albopictus mosquito, has gone up by 85% from 1951-1960 to 2014-2023.
Also, the conditions for spreading Vibrio germs, which can cause diseases like cholera, have become better. The areas along the coast that are good for these germs to spread have increased by 23% since 1990-1999. In the last ten years, more than 210 million people have lived within 100 kilometers of coastal waters that are now suitable for these germs to spread.
The report talks about how India still depends a lot on fossil fuels and biomass, which cause a lot of air pollution. This pollution makes people more likely to get serious health problems like breathing issues, heart diseases, brain disorders, and problems during pregnancy. In 2022, renewable energy sources like wind and solar energy supplied a record 11% of India's electricity, showing that India is moving in a better direction towards cleaner energy.
India still plays a big role in global air pollution. The country makes up 15.8% of the world's PM2.5 emissions from what people use, which are tiny particles that can get into the lungs and hurt health. Also, India was responsible for 16.9% of the PM2.5 emissions from what it produces, making it the second-highest producer of these harmful particles in the world.