A quarter of all global deaths annually are related to environmental pollution and the death rate is increasing significantly, the World Health Organisation warned in its latest report.
The report also stressed that chemical substances and waste discharged by humans into the air, water and land has a serious and widespread impact on health.
Illnesses related to environmental pollution, like heart disease and cancer, are increasing rapidly.
Last year 7.3 million people died due to pollution in Southeast Asia, India, Bangladesh, China, and the West Pacific.
“Developing nations suffer the most serious consequences of environmental pollution. If governments do not clean up the environment, more people will get diseases and die young,” according to Margaret Chan, the General Director of WHO.
This year Beijing authorities categorized the city’s dangerous air pollution as Level 2 for the first time.
Vietnam also faces serious pollution problems. Air pollution in HCM City and Hà Nội now exceeds dangerous levels.
In its latest report, HCM City’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment warned that carbon monoxide emissions, noise pollution, and particle pollution in the city are worse than ever. Recently HCM City was covered in thick fog until noon for many days. The smog was attributed to severe air pollution.
HCM City’s Environment Protection Bureau warned that in 89% of tests made in the city at various times, air quality fell far short of safe levels, threatening human health. Suspended particles, emitted by the increasing number of vehicles and constant traffic congestion, were considered the most serious threat.
The situation in Hà Nội is thought to be worse than the danger in HCM City, especially during rush hour.
