By Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha
The
world saw an unprecedented fall in carbon (CO2) emission and human
activities due to the ongoing global lockdown. This has reportedly resulted in
the restoration of clear blue sky over smog filled cities and reclamation of
their lost territories by wild animals.
But
how real is the natural environments’ comeback and its possible benefits for
the global health?
According
to a report
by the International Energy Agency (IEA), economic restrictions due to the global lockdown and
changes in weather could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by almost 8% this
year, which is the largest decline in 70 years. Such a fall, though under
unfortunate circumstances, is a welcome shift as outdoor air pollution kills 4.2 million people every
year, as per data
from World Health Organization (WHO). This
is more than 13 times the reported death from COVID-19 till
date.
Sadly, around 91% of the
world’s population live
in places where air quality exceeds World Health Organization’s (WHO) guideline
limits. But the ongoing global lockdown, though unintended, has resulted in a
massive reduction
in air pollution to
open up the blue sky hidden behind dark smog for decades. The clearing sky gave
people in the Indian subcontinent a rare glimpse of famous Himalayan peaks;
such as Mt
Everest from Kathmandu, Kangchenjunga
from Siliguri and Dhauladhar
ranges from Jalandhar, after more than 30 years. Some of the cities are located as far as 200
km away from the mountain ranges.
Delhi, notwithstanding, been one of the most
polluted cities in the
world, has seen a stark shift in recent months with 49%
reduction in air
pollution and less pollutants flowing in the Yamuna River. The residents were
elated to see blue sky over the city, which has been blanketed
with smog for decades. As per data records (Weather Online), the city also experienced a much
cooler weather condition for the first 10 days of the May 2020 compared to the
same period in the last five years. No successive governments in Delhi, for
decades, has been able to achieve such a reduction in air pollution despite
initiating numerous policies and regulations.
 |
| Clear Blue sky in New Delhi during the Lockdown (Photo: Choenyi Woeser) |
The decline in carbon emission means fewer
deaths worldwide, particularly in India. According to Data from WHO, outdoor
air pollution contributed to 7.6% of all
deaths worldwide
in 2016. And as per the State
of Global Air 2019 Report, air pollution killed over 1.2 million in India in 2017.
So, could the world’s biggest lockdown ordered
by Prime Minister Modi to flatten the COVID-19 curve, contributing to a better
air quality and natural environment?
With the enormity of the exercise, which has completely
halted the economic engine of the world’s
fifth largest economy and restricted the movement of 1.39
billion people for
almost two months, logically has to have a tangible impact on the natural
environment. An analysis of Indian government data by Carbon Brief, for the first
time in four decades, the carbon emission in India fell by an estimate of 15%
during the month of March, and the decline could have doubled for the month of April.
The positive impact on the environment from
nationwide lockdown is also felt in non-urban areas. About 500km away from
Delhi, the hill-station of Dharamshala is experiencing a cold and unusual
summer with constantly fluctuating weather condition. Local residents have
alluded the over-extended winter to reduced carbon emission during the lockdown.
But scientists have linked the milder summer in much of north and central India
to a very high western
disturbance activity
occurring this year. As per an observation by this writer while comparing the
temperature records (Weather Online) of the hill-station since 2016, surprisingly
found that the first ten days of May 2020 has been the coldest in five years.
China, the first country to enforce lockdowns, also saw a decline in air
pollution. As per a paper
published in the UK, the
lockdown in the Chinese city of Wuhan, from where the virus infection first
originated, saw 63% reduction in air pollution. Such a reduction, the paper
states, could have prevented 10,822 death in China as a whole, which is twice
more than the reported COVID-19 deaths in China. China being the largest
emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, any decline means
some respite for the nature.
The health crisis, unfortunately, has spread
to every corner of the world except for few
islands in the Pacific. There are 250
countries or territories dealing with the infection as per the WHO list,
which is more than the total number of countries recognized by United Nations. The 15
countries (WHO) with
the largest number of COVID-19 infection till date are mostly part of the G7,
OPEC and BRICS, basically the wealthiest group of nations on earth with the highest
rate of carbon emission. Therefore, a collective lockdown of the fifteen countries, either
partial or total, should have naturally contributed to a massive decline in atmospheric
pollution.
A global health crisis
of even greater proportion could emerge unless we take strong measures to
protect the ecological wellbeing of
the natural environment. Scientists have recently discovered 28
unknown ancient virus frozen under the glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau, but glaciers are
quickly receding due to global warming. Scientist fear that, as glaciers melt,
the ancient virus frozen beneath snow for 15,000 years, could come back to life
and release new diseases.
How do we mitigate impending
risk depend on how the world move forward post lockdown.
The post lockdown
could open up two serious risk to the nature; a huge medical waste and a
revenge consumption. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has
appropriately forewarned
its member states of the risk of increased waste necessitated by the medical
response to the health crisis.
The world leaders, rightly took bold decisions
to save thousands of lives from the pandemic wave despite a massive economic
fallout. A hasty economic revival post lockdown with massive stimulus packages
could negate the huge environmental gains made for the first time in decades.
As envisioned in the UN
sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to eradicate poverty and provide a healthy environment by 2030,
the world must learn from the coronavirus catastrophe to strive for a more
sustainable economic structure to prevent a climate crisis.
The crisis has shown
to the world that an unimaginable rate of carbon reduction could be achieved in
a short period, if the leaders are willing.
(PS: Data used in the article are up-to-date till 21st
May 2020)