UNEP: Tackling Climate Change to Decrease Health Issue Load

The pervasive and direct threat of pollution

According to the report, environmental pollution is the world’s largest risk factor for disease and premature death, responsible for nine million human deaths annually, with more than 90% of pollution-related deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries.

The methods of waste disposal in these nations create severe hazards, as in low-income nations, 93%of municipal waste is either burned or dumped in open landfills, posing serious environmental and health risks.

The report details the vast scope of environmental contaminants, noting that pollutants in the environment encompass a wide range of contaminants, including noise, light and radioactive pollution, as well as contaminated water, soil and land contamination, atmospheric pollution, industrial waste and plastic litter.

This toxic burden disproportionately harms the most vulnerable.

The report specifies that pollution affects women’s health differently, particularly in terms of reproductive health and exposure to household pollutants and the adverse health effects of pollution on the elderly may also be disproportionate.

A growing toxic burden on human health is highlighted, with the report noting that “the number of chemicals released into the environment, including plastics, has grown over time, with an estimated 350,000 chemicals available globally and new threats arise, such as the forever chemicals (poly and perfluorinated chemicals).”

Air pollution remains a primary killer.

A global model estimates that, in 2022, 96%, 82% and 53% of Earth’s populated areas experienced unhealthy air quality for at least one day, one week, and one month, respectively.

“If we choose to stay on the current path, powering our economies with fossil fuels, extracting virgin resources, destroying nature, polluting the environment, the damages would stack up,” says Inger Andersen, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme, in the report.