600,000 die annually in Africa from air pollution, UN report says

Air pollution is the leading environmental killer in the world, with more than seven million people dying from air-pollution-related causes in 2012 alone, a new UN report has revealed.

Some three billion people, most of whom are in Africa, still use solid organic fuels to cook and heat their homes, exposing mostly women and children to indoor pollution.

This has led to a worrying trend of around 600,000 people dying in Africa from indoor-air-pollution-related causes annually, the report says.

Mr Achim Steiner, the United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director, said many developing countries do not even have the technology to monitor air quality.

This means that they may not even be aware of the extent of the problem and are not well placed to come up with policies to deal with the problem

But Mr Steiner remained optimistic despite the bleak picture, saying: “Despite the lack of a holistic response, numerous countries and regions are coming up with effective — and cost effective — measures to improve air quality.”

A few local solutions to the problem of fuel emissions were celebrated in this year’s United Nations Environment Assembly where the report was launched.

For instance, the Ruiru Youth Community Empowerment Program has developed a less-polluting firewood-burning stove that is up to 60 per cent more efficient than traditional open fires common in rural areas.

Even though the continent is currently the least emitter of air pollutants, the study projected that Africa could produce more than half of all the global emissions by 2030.

“The rapid growth of cities and megacities in Africa will likely trigger a large increase in air pollutant emissions from burning fossil fuels and traditional biomass,” reads the report titled Actions on Air Quality.

The transport sector is believed to be the biggest source of outdoor pollution and the rise in the number of vehicles in Kenya poses a big threat to the environment.

Only a quarter of countries have advanced fuels and vehicles standards, which can significantly reduce pollution from solid matter in exhaust emissions.

Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda decided that from January 2015, only low sulphur fuels would be allowed in the countries.

By using low-sulphur fuels and cleaning up vehicles, the report revealed, Sub-Saharan Africa could end up saving up to USD43 billion in the next 10 years.