International Day of Clean Air for blue skies: Healthy Air, Healthy Planet

As many as nine out of ten people breathe polluted air. It causes around 7 million premature deaths yearly and this number could double by 2050 if necessary steps aren’t taken.  

Air pollution can damage the climate, biodiversity and can even destroy ecosystems.  

Pollutants in the air not only damage the environment but also living organisms including humans. As we breathe in the polluted air, our life span reduces by several years   

One of the primary steps towards improving air quality is identifying the type and amount of various pollutants present in the air.  

Once the pollutants have been identified, we must work on reducing and eliminating them from the atmosphere. We can do so by switching to cleaner, green, sustainable, renewable alternatives.  

Individuals, organisations, countries and global communities all need to take some initiative to ensure cleaner air not only for themselves but for the future generations.  

Environmental health and human health are interlinked. Only when we have a clean, green and healthy planet can we expect to have clean air and lead a healthy life.