Air pollution: The overlooked disaster

Created By RISC | 5 years ago

Last modified date : 3 years ago

Are we overlooking something?​

In winter, along with cooler temperatures come particulates, which affect our health. The ground becomes cooler than the atmosphere above, trapping particles inside an "inversion layer".​

Air pollution is a leading global problem we cannot ignore. More than 7 million people die each year from air pollution, making it one of the 8 top causes of death worldwide. In Thailand, the main particulate issue we face is PM2.5. These tiny particles cause over 22,000 premature deaths, according to Greenpeace research, with a huge impact on health and the economy. Bangkok was the most affected city last year, followed by Chiang Mai.​

The Pollution Control Department lists the sources of Bangkok’s particulates this year as:​
- 72.5% from traffic (especially 144,630 trucks and 99,652 diesel vehicles)​
- 17% from industry
- 5% from agriculture and field burning​
- 5.5% from other sources​

Reducing pollution requires action on vehicles, industry, and field burning. Thailand also has initiatives to tackle particulates such as...​
- Increasing the potential of area-based management (emergency and crisis solutions)​
- Pollution reduction and prevention from sources (2019-21 and 2022-24 plans)​
- Increasing the potential of pollution management (2019-21 and 2022-24 plans)​

In the next post, we’ll look at how different countries are tackling their air pollution.​

Information: WHO, Pollution Control Department, Greenpeace, NGThai ​

Author/Editor: Phetcharin Phongphetkul, Sustainable Designer, RISC​