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Urban air pollution

Bangladesh incurs $60-240m health costs a year: Temple
Economic value of health costs incurred from urban air pollution in Bangladesh is between 60 and 240 million US dollars per year, reports UNB.
World Bank country director Frederick Temple gave the estimate at a global workshop on the problem of air pollution in lhe city yesterday.
"The poor are particularly affected by air pollution. They are more exposed because they work on the street for long hours and at times live and die by the side of the road," he said.
He observed their poor nutrition and health meant they have less resistance to disease, which is compounded by their limited access to health care.
"With little or no savings, a day lost to ill health can mean a day without meeting basic needs, further contributing to a vicious cycle of sickness, reduced productivity and lower income."
In general terms. Temple said, the health costs associated with air pollution slow the economic growth that is essential if Bangladesh is to significantly reduce poverty.
The World Bank country
chief attributed Dhaka's air pollution problem partly to economic reason and partly governance.
"I can summarize much of what I have said by saying that the solutions to Dhakas air quality problem have to be partly economic and partly governmental." Temple said focusing on various aspects of the environmental problem in the workshop's technical session.
"Improving air quality requires good economics and good governance."
He said the economic solution lay mainly in closing the gap between petrol and kerosene prices.
"This gap provides an incentive all down the supply chain for people to make money by adulterating petrol and kerosene with disastrously polluting consequences."
The solution is either to close the price gap or improve enforcement of fuel quality.
Regarding good governance he said even if the country got its fuel prices right, enforcement of fuel quality and vehi-cl<- emission standards would still be necessary to encourage
improved engine maintenance and to get the wrong types of vehicles off the streets.
"In Bangladesh regulations usually provide opportunities for the enforcers and those be-ing regulated to strike corrupt deals.
"This kind of corruption will only disappear when there are pressures on the regulators to perform honestly."
Temple said the success of efforts to curb air pollution would depend on collaboration among the policymakers and the stakeholders from environment. transport and energy sectors. and dynamic partnerships among the government, private sector and general public.
The global workshop on curbing air pollution was or-ganisea by the Forum of Environmental Journalists of Bangladesh (FEJB).
Environment and Forest Minister Begum Sajeda Chowdhury' earlier inaugurated the workshop. FEJB Chairman Quamrul Islam Chowdhury presided.
Inaugurating the programme she said rapid urbanisation and Increase in emission of black smoke from the automobiles, industrial boilers and brick burning — all this is making the situation worse.
"In capital Dhaka, the situation is alarming, mainly due to vehicular and industrial emissions. In Chittagong city, vehicular and industrial emissions almost equally contribute to air pollution."
Exhausts from brickfields widespread in the countryside also keep polluting air, Sajeda added.
But. said the environment minister, the air pollution situation was not yet acute in other smaller towns and rural areas.
Our Special Correspondent adds: There were two sessions during the day. Mahbubul Alam chaired the first technical session on Air pollution and the economy.’ Besides presentation of the key note paper by Frederick Temple. Mohammad Reazuddin, director. DOE and Dr O Yokohama from Japan and ten others participated in discussions. The second technical session on 'Environmental Reporting' was chaired by Syed Fahim Munaim, managing editor of The Daily Star Paul Martin of the World Bank and Dr Nalla Zaman Khan from the Institute of Child Health and Dr Ray Chiuang from the USA made their presentation.
The conference ends today.