Thailand is among the most polluted countries in Southeast Asia, with particulate pollution nearly 5 times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline. According to new data from the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), air pollution is shortening the average Thai resident’s life expectancy by 1.8 years relative to what it would be if the WHO guideline was permanently met. In the Northern region, air pollution levels are 18 to 52 percent higher than the national average, and the gains from clean air are 2 to 3 years.
As part of the AQLI’s release of its latest data on pollution’s impact in Thailand, AQLI partnered with the citizen-driven Thailand Clean Air Network (Thailand CAN), global public health organization Vital Strategies, and the Indonesian Clean Air Coalition to bring together leading experts to discuss the health threat of air pollution.
In the webinar, a panel of leading experts shared how it is possible to protect public health while maintaining economic growth through strong citizen engagement. They shared their own examples of challenges and successes. For example, last year an Indonesian civil society coalition achieved a landmark court win that found the Jakarta government was not doing enough to improve air quality. The event came as Thailand CAN submitted the first citizen-driven Clean Air Bill to the Thai Parliament earlier this year and is working to gain public awareness.
Panelists
Dr. Kenneth Lee, Director, Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
Wirun Limsawart, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Society & Health Institute, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand and a co-founder of the Thailand Clean Air Network
Dr. Sumi Mehta, Senior Epistemologist, Vital Strategies
Fajri Fadhillah, Environmental Lawyer, Indonesia Center for Environmental Law
Bondan Andriyanu, Climate & Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia
“This is both a structural and cultural violence and we need to be more aggressive at all levels – in the collection of the evidence and in all reforms including the law itself. That is why the AQLI is an important tool to help support our Clean Air Act.”
– Dr. Wirun Limsawart, Director of Society & Health Institute, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand
Dr.Kenneth Lee ผู้อำนวยการ Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) มหาวิทยาลัยชิคาโก ซึ่งศึกษาเรื่องมลพิษทางอากาศหลายปีที่ผ่านมา พบว่า อายุของประชากรลดลงเมื่อฝุ่น PM2.5 เพิ่มมากขึ้น ถือเป็นปัญหาของทั่วโลก ซึ่งพบมากสุดที่ South Asia, South east Asia, และ Asia โดยเฉพาะประเทศที่ยังไม่พัฒนา จะไม่ตระหนักกับปัญหานี้และความเชื่อมโยงของ PM2.5 ยังเกี่ยวข้องกับการเปลี่ยนแปลงสภาพภูมิอากาศ
Dr.Kenneth Lee ผู้อำนวยการ Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) มหาวิทยาลัยชิคาโก
This month, the Air Quality Life Index report by the University of Chicago revealed that, on average, Bangkokians’ live spans will be reduced by 2.4 years, while people in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai will face reductions of 3.6 and 3.9 years, respectively.
It found that prolonged exposure to ultrafine particles called PM2.5 will result in life expectancy of Thais to decrease by more than two years on average compared to those living in areas that meet World Health Organization (WHO) air quality standards. This was based on an analysis of conditions in 2016. The researchers, however, worry that things may have worsened since then.
The report also cited that growth in the industrial sector and increased vehicle emissions had resulted in a 23-percent increase in Bangkok’s air pollution since 1998, when it took 1.7 years off the lives of people living in the city at the time. It also found that 87 percent of the population lived in areas where pollution exceeded WHO guidelines. Even under more-forgiving Thai government standards, three out of four people breathe “unhealthy” air.
