Of this, damages from ambient PM 2.5 air pollution rose by 63% during this period to $3.5 trillion, while damages from household air pollution from cooking with solid fuels jumped almost four-fold to $1.5 trillion, adjusted to the purchasing power parity (PPP) in 2011. In terms of welfare losses because of air pollution, India ranks second after China at $505.1 billion, or 7.69% of its gross domestic product (GDP), in 2013. Adding welfare costs and costs of lost labour due to air pollution puts India’s GDP loss at more than 8.5% in 2013. Air pollution kills more people than tobacco, alcohol or drug use or unsafe sex in most countries. The long-term answer to such questions lies in putting in place a robust mechanism to understand air pollution and its sources.

Source: Mint September 08, 2016 12:00 UTC