Increasing air pollution causing respiratory diseases in Pakistan

 Environment  1 Response »
Mar 022009
 

 

By Dr Athar Khan and Prof Saraphine Salik

LAHORE: Air pollution is a broad term that refers to any chemical, physical (particulate matter), or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere — a complex, dynamic, natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet Earth.airpollution

Stratospheric ozone depletion due to air pollution has long been recognised as a threat to human health as well as to the Earth’s ecosystem. Globally, air pollution is directly responsible for a large number of respiratory disease cases, and resultantly, the deaths caused by them. The World Health Organisation estimates that 4.6 million people die each year from causes directly attributable to air pollution. Continue reading »

Global warming can delay, weaken monsoons: study

 Environment  Comments Off
Mar 022009
 

CHICAGO: Global warming could delay the start of the summer monsoon by five to 15 days within the next century, and significantly reduce rainfall in much of South Asia, a recent study has found.

Rising global temperatures will likely lead to an eastward shift in monsoon circulation, which could result in more rainfall over the Indian Ocean, Myanmar and Bangladesh but less over Pakistan, India and Nepal, the study found. It could also result in longer delays between rainy seasons and intensify the risk of deadly floods by leading to a significant increase in average rainfalls in some coastal areas of western India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Continue reading »

Pakistan Economy loses Rs 365bn annually to environmental hazards

 Environment  Comments Off
Jan 282009
 

FAST deteriorating environment across the country is causing a huge financial burden to the economy, which is estimated to the tune of Rs 365 billion per annum or six per cent of the GDP.

This was stated by Federal Minister for Environment Hameedullah Jan Afridi while addressing the two-day Global Environment Facility (GEF)-National Dialogue Initiative on Tuesday at a local hotel. Continue reading »