The Air Pollution Problem in the Asian Region - Term Paper Example

Environmental Science Air Pollution and Population Growth in the Asian Region Introduction: The Asian region has been witnessing unprecedented economic growth causing a surge in demand and utilization of energy, which essentially comes from fossil fuels. The region is also the most populous region of the world with China and India in the forefront in population growth, and it is these two countries that also show impressive economic gains. The two issues put together throw a serious challenge to the countries in the region with far reaching consequences for the entire world. Air Pollution: The air pollution problem in the Asian region is reaching alarming proportions with extremely high levels of particulate matter being reported across the region. According to the World Health Organization, of the fifteen cities with the highest level of particulate matter in the world, twelve are to be found in the Asian Region, and with respect to sulfur dioxide levels in the air, six Asian cities are to be found among the fifteen cities with the highest levels of sulfur particles in the air. These high levels of particulate matter are not restricted to the cities of the Asian region only, but spread throughout many countries in the region with the ambient concentration of suspended particulate matter and sulfur dioxide in the air, exceeding the standards set by the World Health Organization. In comparison to other forms of environment pollution, air pollution constitutes the highest risk to health and can cause great damage to the health in the form of respiratory diseases and premature mortality among the people of region, and thereby loss of welfare. An example of the risk that air pollution poses to the health of the people of the region is shown by the loss of life, which amounts to almost five hundred thousand each year, in China and Southeast Asia, as a result of air pollution. It is not just the health of the people that are at risk in the region, but environmental degradation is another area of concern. Rainfall across the region has already become more acidic with levels as high as ten times normal reported from some places in the region and it is predicted to become more acidic in the future. The increase in acid rain is expected to have a detrimental effect on the flora and fauna of the region by polluting the natural water resources of the region. The air pollution problem in the Asian region is expected to increase in the future, in case no remedial action is taken up immediately. (Alternative Policy Study: Reducing Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific). The cause of the growing pollution in the region has been attributed to the increasing use fossil fuels and coal to meet the growing demands for energy owing to the enhanced economic fortunes of the region. Yet, it is not just increasing use of fossil fuels that have contributed to air pollution in the Asian region. Another contributory factor has been the destructive slash and burn agricultural practice in some countries in the region like Indonesia. Natural forest cover is cut down and burnt to provide arable land. The burning of the forest cover has added to the air pollution problem in the area not only in the countries, where slash and burn agricultural is practiced, but to the neighboring countries. (Air pollution kills Asia: WHO). Solutions for the Air Pollution Problems: The basis for solutions to the air pollution problem in Asia calls for concerted action in the diffusion of clean energy technologies, promotion of non-motorized private and personnel transport with increased efficiency of the public transport, fuel switching and the efficient use of energy. The success of the solutions lies in the combined action of the administrative authorities, business organizations and the public. Action from the administrative authorities should be oriented towards encouraging the use of clean energy technologies both in the power generation policy and in the business organization activity. Targets for reduction in growth of air pollution levels need to be set and the means to achieve the targets assessed and implemented. The targets need to be achievable and it makes sense to set the targets such that the growth in air pollution levels is targeted first. Making use of the hydroelectric potential without degradation of the environment, encouraging and investing in reusable clean energy sources like wind and solar power to address the growing energy demands, should be the policy of the administrative authorities. Regulating the use of pollution increasing technologies and encouraging the use of clean energy technologies and processes in the business environment should be the means used by the administration to tackle the air pollution contribution from the business environment. The energy guzzling public transport system need to be modernized and not just made energy efficient, but also customer efficient. This would provide twin benefits as the pollution contribution from the public transport system would reduce and the efficiency of the public transport system would encourage more private transport owners to use the public transport system, thereby reducing the contribution to the air pollution problem from the use of private transport. The use of automobile engine and motorcycle engine technology that has high emission of air pollutants needs to be phased out through regulation and engine technology that supports the air pollution reduction targets made mandatory for use in automobile and motorcycles. The use of clean fuels replacing the existing fossil fuels has to be done at a priority with growing number of private vehicles that are hitting the road every year. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) offers an economical and pollution free means to power vehicles and the authorities need to encourage the use of CNG in automobile vehicles by addressing the technological changes that the automobile and motor cycle manufacturers have to introduce into the engines. There is also the requirement to make CNG available freely just as the petrol and diesel so that availability of the cleaner CNG does not become an issue in the attempt to reduce air pollution through the use of the much cleaner CNG as a fuel for private and public vehicles. In the final run it is the cooperation of the business organizations as well as the public that would contribute to the success of the reduced air pollution targets and for this to happen regulation alone will not succeed. Cooperation is the need of the hour and it is awareness of the dangers of increased pollution that would encourage cooperation from the business organizations and the public. The authorities only remain regulators and facilitators and it is the business enterprises in combination with the public that really contribute to the success of the reduced air pollution targets. The business environment needs to be aware of their contribution to the pollution levels and the action required from their side to achieve the reduced pollution targets and cooperate by taking the required action in terms of both use of cleaner energy fuels and technology that increases the efficiency of the fuels in their manufacturing processes as well as the products that are made available. The public needs to be aware that it is individual contribution that raises the pollution air pollution levels, and it is individual action that can reduce the air pollution levels. Simple action at the individual level like use of non-motorized transport or public transport, choice of less fuel hungry vehicles and energy saving devices do help in the reduction of air pollution. (Alternative Policy Study: Reducing Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific). On the agricultural front there is already necessary regulation available and the authorities need to enforce the regulation. The farmers need to be also trained in better agricultural methods, so that they do not resort to the destructive slash and burn method, but use better agricultural methods to remain productive. (Air pollution kills Asia: WHO). European Pollution Control Measures: In 1979 under the aegis of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, thirty countries agreed to take up measures to reduce trans-boundary air pollutants. This agreement did not set any limits for air pollution limits and only required that the countries involved utilize the economically feasible technology available to meet the requirement in trans-boundary pollution. The gain from this was however that there was acceptance among the European countries about the existence of the air pollution problem. Forest damage and public awareness of the air pollution problem gradually led to the signing of the first Sulfur Protocol in 1985 by twenty one countries that agreed to reduce the reduce the level of sulfur emission by thirty percent with the target year set as 1993. Gradually it became clear that the thirty percent reduction in sulfur emission levels would not be sufficient to protect sensitive areas and this led to the Second Sulfur Protocol in 1994, which is expected to cause a reduction in sulfur emission levels by 2010. The air pollution issue in Europe has now extended from sulfur to other air pollutants including oxides of nitrogen, volatile organic compounds, and ammonia. The nest set of Protocols planned are expected to take into consideration air pollution as a whole and look at ways and means to emission reduction to cause environment benefit to the region. (INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION). International Support for the Reduction in Air-Pollution in Asia: The international support that is called for in the reduction of air pollution in the Asian region include making available clean energy technologies that are available with the developed countries, financial support for the changes that are required in the energy infrastructure and most importantly nudging the Asian countries into regional co-operation for the reduction in emission of air pollutants as seen in Europe. ((Alternative Policy Study: Reducing Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific). Population Growth in Asia: The population has been growing in Asia due to the traditional and cultural encouragement that has been part of the community life. This growth in population in population is not a new phenomenon, but is reaching alarming proportions with its strain on the natural resources of the region and the threat that it poses to the other regions of the world. Traditionally fertility was encouraged within the Asian region as a means to provide extra hands both at the domestic chores as well as the agricultural activity in the fields. This saw the development of a culture wherein the fertility of the woman was looked upon as a gift of God and the number of children that a man has as a sign of the virility of the man. This culture of large families is thus deep rooted in the family traditions. The low economic development of the region, low literacy and education levels of the women in particular and the general populace as a whole, the traditional view of the woman’s place being at home, have all contributed to the continuing practice of large families in the Asian region. This has led to a growth in population that has made the region the most populous region of the world and contributing in a large way to the growing alarm in the manner in which the growth in population of the world is threatening to make the natural resources and arable land insufficient to meet the requirements of world population. (The Exploding Population). Solutions for the Growth in Population in Asia: Policies that encourage family planning are the usual suggestions for control in the growth of population and yet these family planning methods have to be more in terms of linked to development than in terms of coercion by the authorities as without the necessary development, literacy and education, and empowerment of women family planning methods by coercion are bound to fail. (POPULATION CONTROL BY COERCION). The failure of the Indian family planning program is an example of coercion methods by the authorities lead to failure in family planning programs. India is still lacking in developing a coherent population control plan and the dissemination of birth control techniques and the benefits that result from it. (Mynott, A. 2002). The approach that is required is that development, education and women empowerment be taken up on a priority basis along with making available the knowledge of birth control techniques, and the availability of birth control measures. The business sector can contribute to this by providing information on birth control techniques to their work forces and the information that this improves the quality of their lives. From the individual point of view it is necessary that the traditional beliefs in large families be given up and to start with replacement of the family unit be the criteria in deciding the size of the family. As women get better educated and find careers they will play a vital role in the decision of the family size as they will throw out the traditions that saw them just as means to increase the workforce of the family and consigned them to domestic duties. (POPULATION CONTROL BY COERCION). The European Example: Reduction of population growth in Europe resulted not from any governmental action, but more from the situation, where women became more educated and more empowered taking up careers and matching their male counterparts in the work environment. This situation provided the realization that creating children and bringing them up was a cooperative effort and the sharing of this responsibility along with the demands of career have caused a reduction in the population growth that even replacement of population is now not taking place. (The Exploding Population). International Support for Population Reduction in Asia: The required international support for the population programs in the Asian region is for international efforts to aid in the development of the region. Support for literacy programs would be useful and these literacy programs need to include awareness of birth control techniques and its usefulness in improving the quality of life of the individual. In addition the international community could make available contraceptives free of cost or at a very low cost to make their use more popular. Literary References Air pollution kills Asia: WHO. 2005. HEALTH/SCIENCE. THE TIMES OF INDIA. Retrieved April 24, 2006. Web site: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1206555.cms. Alternative Policy Study: Reducing Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific. 2000. Retrieved April 24, 2006. Web site: http://www.unep.org/Geo2000/aps-asiapacific/index.htm. INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION. Retrieved April 24, 2006. Web site: http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/sei/rapidc2/asia/aspoltex.html. Mynott, A. (2002). India losing population battle. BBC NEWS. Retrieved April 24, 2006. Web site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2540271.stm. POPULATION CONTROL BY COERCION. Retrieved April 24, 2006. Web site: http://www.uwmc.uwc.edu/geography/110/senshrt.doc. The Exploding Population. Retrieved April 24, 2006. We site: http://www.dhushara.com/book/diversit/bomb.htm. Read More