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Chatter about the weather has long been synonymous with boring small talk. But in 2024, it’s almost impossible not to discuss it. As of November, we’ve had 18 named storms (seven tropical storms and 11 hurricanes) that brought severe flooding—the second costliest hurricane season on record. We’ve seen an increase in tropical cyclones forming in the ocean, drought conditions, and wildfires, and 2024 is set to outrank 2023 as the warmest year on record.

Scientists say the unseasonable warmth and extreme weather events are obvious evidence of climate change due to human activity, and without intervention, its devastating effects will continue. Those effects include the expected: floods, property damage, and injury, but experts are finding a few surprising consequences of climate change—including skin issues.

“Skin is our largest organ, and it’s the primary barrier between our bodies and the environment,” says Eva R. Parker, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at Vanderbilt University, whose academic focus includes climate change and global health. “As such, there are a number of climate-sensitive skin diseases.” These include inflammatory conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne. Plus, experts say shifts in weather patterns and extreme events can also increase skin aging, pigmentation, and even skin cancer rates.

In 2018, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) responded to the threat of climate change by forming the Expert Resource Group for Climate Change and Environmental Affairs, a group of dermatologists that educate on the skin-associated risks due to climate change. “Climate change has been a topic on the agenda at national meetings; there are countless papers written on the it,” says Adam Friedman, MD, professor and chair of dermatology at George Washington University in Washington, DC.

There’s no denying it; the threat to your skin is real.

Heating Up

At a casual glance, the numbers don’t seem so extreme. The global average surface temperature of Earth has risen by 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the pre-industrial era (1850-1900). However, the rate at which the Earth’s surface has warmed has tripled per decade since 1982, according to the the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) 2023 Annual Global Climate Report. The cause of the increased temps has been linked to human activity, primarily an increase in emissions, trapping heat in the atmosphere and causing a greenhouse-like effect. This increase in surface heat has led to seasonal temperature extremes, less snowfall, reduced sea ice, heavy rainfall, and changes that affect plants and animals.

So, how does your skin bear the brunt of this?

Skin plays a significant role in our ability to regulate body temperature, says Dr. Parker. “The way we cool our bodies is, in part, due to vasodilation, the opening of blood vessels in the skin that release heat,” she says. Skin also releases sweat, and as it evaporates, it cools our skin and bodies. “It’s like when you microwave something in a bag; it’s full of steam, and when you open the bag, all the steam comes out,” says Dr. Parker. Our skin is releasing internal heat. “Only now that we’re seeing heat waves and higher temperatures, it really can impact our ability to cool down, putting us more at risk for heat stress and heat stroke,” she says. It’s a double-whammy for women going through perimenopause and menopause. “We’re not able to regulate temperature and cool our bodies as effectively as when we’re younger, putting us at an even higher risk for heat stress,” she says.

Skin is our largest organ, and it’s the primary barrier between our bodies and the environment. As such, there are a number of climate-sensitive skin diseases.

This increased heat can get trapped in our skin, triggering several inflammatory issues. Acne can worsen with heat because increased sweat can lead to more clogged pores. “Sweat is an irritant,” says Dr. Friedman. It can increase heat rashes, particularly those in friction-prone areas like under the breasts, groin, and inner thighs, as well as yeast and bacterial conditions that can occur with perspiration buildup on the skin.

Heat has also been increasing the pollen load, as warm temperatures mean more pollination, which can lengthen allergy season. Eczema (and asthma) often run hand in hand with seasonal allergies, and all that pollen can aggravate the condition, says Maria Wei, MD, PhD, professor of dermatology at the University of California San Francisco, who studies the impact of climate change on skin. Chronic heat can also speed up skin aging. “It’s weakens the structural parts of the skin such as elastic tissue, so you get more wrinkling,” says Dr. Wei, adding that it can also trigger hyperpigmentation (or brown spots) in those prone to it.

Catching More Rays

Climate change may also mean we’re getting more ultraviolet rays (UV), primarily UVB, the type linked to sunburns and skin cancers. Of course, not all hot days are sunny days, but increased temperatures may mean we’re wearing less clothing and showing more skin, which leads to more exposure. And experts say there is another environmental factor causing more UVB to hit the earth’s surface: the depletion of the ozone layer. “The stratospheric ozone layer helps to block and filter UV rays,” says Dr. Parker.

Scientists first discovered the ozone depletion in 1985. “For many decades, we produced chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that were used in aerosols, refrigerants, and in manufacturing; they’re very long-lived in the atmosphere,” says Dr. Parker. “Not only do they act as greenhouse gases to trap heat, but they also interact with the ozone layer to destroy it.” CFCs were globally banned in 2010 and have been phased out in the US with a few exceptions, only recovery of our ozone layer isn’t expected to happen for another four decades. Experts say that methane, an alternative to CFCs that’s another greenhouse gas, has also been linked to ozone depletion, which may be slowing the recovery process.

Much of the data on skin cancer rates and climate change comes from animal studies and computer models, so proving a definitive link between the two has been a challenge, but a review authored by Dr. Parker in the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology found enough circumstantial evidence to support the hypothesis that climate change, including ozone depletion, global warming, and air pollution (we’ll get to that) have likely contributed to the increase of skin cancer globally and can have a negative influence on rates for decades to come.

Increased UV rays not only lead to more sunburns and potential skin cancers but also pigmentation disorders such as melasma, a hormonal condition that causes brown patches on the skin with UV exposure. UV is also the main factor in a condition called solar urticaria, hives triggered by sun exposure—something Rosemary G. Dietrich, 45, has dealt with for the last decade and a half. Dietrich noticed that she would get itchy welts after she was outside, even for just a few minutes. “I would scratch so much I would bleed.”

Dietrich later learned (after a skin biopsy and a misdiagnosis of cutaneous lupus) that she has the rare allergic condition induced by UV exposure. As a mother of two young kids, Dietrich can’t always stay indoors, so she manages her itchy skin condition with a mix of oral antihistamines and careful sun protection. Only she’s noticed that it’s recently gotten worse. “I started having flare-ups again last year—super itchy, red blotches,” she says. “This past summer was a doozy; I had to pack anti-histamines anywhere I went,” she says.

Going to Extremes

It’s not just heat and sun’s rays that can wreak havoc on skin. “Extreme weather events such as flooding due to hurricanes and traumatic rainfall can lead to skin infections and rashes through contact with contaminated water,” says Dr. Wei. A review published in Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health states that effective health management needs to consider the likelihood and risks of toxic agents in flood waters contaminated by chemicals, bio-toxins, waste, sewage, and water-borne pathogens. Wading through murky waters can also increase chance of injury, which lets these pathogens and contaminants into your skin.

There’s also the emotional stress of dislocation from floods and hurricanes to consider. “Stress is intimately related to skin diseases and inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, acne, and several others.”

On the other end of the spectrum, extreme dry conditions can trigger dry skin conditions. “The top layer of the skin needs a little water to function correctly,” says Dr. Freidman. “Dry indoor heat or outdoorwinds hitting your skin pulls off that moisture, making it rigid and cracked, allowing more water to get out and potentially irritating or harmful pathogenic things can get in,” he says. This dry, flaky, often itchy skin can exacerbate conditions like eczema.

Extreme dry conditions can also spark wildfires, which have been increasing in intensity, frequency, and destructiveness, says Dr. Wei, and can also affect skin. “My group has studied this, and we’ve shown that even with just a short exposure to climate-related air pollution generated by wildfires, eczema or atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and acne flare,” says Dr. Wei. People with eczema, she explains, have a faulty skin barrier that allows irritants and allergens into the skin, triggering an inflammatory reaction. “We’ve seen that people with eczema exposed to smoke from wildfires experience immediate flare that lasts for several weeks.” Her studies have showed that those with psoriasis and eczema had a delayed reaction, experiencing a flare five or six weeks after exposure that peaked around nine weeks, which suggests the skin reactions are an immune-related response to the air pollution, she says. (Dr. Wei completed a similar study on acne that’s been submitted for publication and shows much of the same results.)

Particulate matter, present in air pollution, is very sticky and microscopic, says Dr. Parker. The teeny particles can stick to other nasty things like polycyclic, aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals and then enter our skin. “This can have a number of impacts from compromising skin barrier to increasing pigment production, damaging cellular DNA, and increasing reactive oxygen species, called free radicals,” says Dr. Parker. “All of these things combined can increase skin cancer risk, wrinkling and pigment, and overall skin aging, as well as trigger inflammatory cascades that can then inflame things like psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa (a condition that causes boil-like lesions in friction-prone areas), and acne.

And even if you don’t live nearby a wildfire, your skin isn’t out of the woods so to speak. “The spread of smoke and particulate pollution can travel thousands of miles, impacting air quality in distant areas,” she says. Those living in the Northeastern United States experienced this firsthand earlier this year, when wildfire smoke from Canada traveled as far south as Georgia and Florida.

Save Your Skin

While scientists figure out a way to reverse the warming trend, our experts say there are some things you can do right now at-home to protect your skin from extreme weather and climate-related stress.

Wash Well

Bathe and cleanse facial skin regularly with a mild cleanser for sensitive skin, says Dr. Friedman. “Traditional soaps are very drying and remove skin’s natural oils and fats, disrupting the skin barrier,” he says. That disruption can further dry skin and make it more vulnerable to environmental aggressors, including allergens and pollutants. If you got sweaty in the heat, wash off those salts asap, says Dr. Freidman.

Limit Oils

If you’re prone to breakouts, skip heavy occlusive moisturizers and skin oils when the temperature soars. These types of products can contribute to clogged pores but also skin yeast infections, says Dr. Friedman. “The yeast loves our skin oils, so body and facial oils can exacerbate the condition and increased growth by feeding it,” he says.

Reduce Friction

If you’re prone to rashes in skin folds, Dr. Friedman says to apply a waxy skin protectant to those areas. “I have patients who use plain Chapstick, a paraffin wax,” he says. “It will wick away water and decrease friction in those spots.”

Up Your Sun Protection Efforts

Wear sunscreen when out and wear sun-protective clothing. “Try to stay indoors in air conditioning when we have heat waves so that not only are you less at risk for heat stroke, but your skin doesn’t suffer from detrimental effects from exposure to high temperatures,” says Dr. Parker.

Minimize Pollution Exposure

“Stay indoors when the air quality index is high,” suggests Dr. Wei. “Using air purifiers indoors and keeping the windows and doors closed will also be helpful.” Fortifying the skin barrier with moisturizers and using topical antioxidants such as vitamin C to fight free radicals unleashed by pollutants may also have merit. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals before they have a chance to damage healthy cells. Dr. Wei points out that these things haven’t been well-studied, but theoretically should help.

Be Prepared

Dr. Parker says having a to-go bag at the ready with your skin essentials can help prevent complexion issues during extreme weather events. This is especially important if you take topical or oral medications to treat chronic skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

The Bottom Line: It’s More Than Skin Deep

When the world is literally on fire, thinking about your skincare routine may feel superficial. But the threat to your skin goes beyond a few unsightly blemishes. An uptick in skin cancer, bacterial infections, and chronic, potentially debilitating inflammatory skin conditions are not minor concerns. Experts say adding a few protective measures to your daily routine will keep your skin safe while we all work together to find a sustainable solution to save our planet from climate change.

Two important studies on the impact of climate change in India were released last week. Both paint a grim picture and raise serious concerns around the health and wellbeing of the citizens of the country.

How Extreme Heat is Impacting India: Assessing District-Level Heat Risk was released on May 20, 2025. Using 35 indicators spanning hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, the study maps heat risk across 734 districts of India. It found that about 57 per cent of Indian districts, home to 76 per cent of the country’s population, is at high to very high risk from extreme heat.

The study, released by New Delhi-based think-tank Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), reported that the top ten states and union territories (UTs) with the highest aggregate heat risk are Delhi, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

The CEEW study analysed daytime temperatures, night-time heat, and relative humidity to show how climate change has altered the frequency, intensity, and duration of heat hazard between 1982 and 2022. It warns that very warm nights have increased faster than very hot days.

Just two days after the CEEW study assessing district-level heat risk, on May 22, Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) and CVoter released their survey- based findings on people’s experiences and worries around climate change. A survey of 10,751 people in India from December 5, 2024, to February 18, 2025 was undertaken for the study.

The joint survey found most respondents saying they had personally experienced at least one extreme weather event or related impact in the past 12 months (see graph below). The majority of Indians said they had experienced severe heat waves (71%), agricultural pests and diseases (60%), power outages (59%), water pollution (53%), droughts and water shortages (52%), and severe air pollution (52%).

Heat waves are occurring more often in major cities across the United States as the climate changes (Source: Climate Indicators in the United States).

“Heat islands” occur when cities replace natural land cover with dense concentrations of pavement, buildings, and other surfaces that absorb and retain heat. The heat island effect increases energy costs (e.g., for air conditioning), air pollution levels, and heat-related illness and mortality. Extreme heat events often affect certain populations first, with factors like age, race, income, and location playing a role in who is most at risk from extreme heat. By adding natural surfaces like vegetation back into communities, green infrastructure can mitigate the heat island effect and provide cooling.

Rising temperatures are expected to lead to more frequent, more intense, and longer heat waves during summer months. As heat waves and rising temperatures occur, green infrastructure can be a crucial tool for communities to improve health, safety, and comfort.

Explore the sections below to learn how green infrastructure can provide cooling benefits and mitigate the effects of heat islands.

On this page:

Using Green Infrastructure to Reduce Heat Islands

Trees, green roofs, and vegetation can help reduce heat island effects by shading building surfaces, deflecting radiation from the sun, and releasing moisture into the atmosphere. Visit EPA’s Using Trees and Vegetation to Reduce Heat Islands webpage to learn more.

Improve Vegetation Cover

Planting trees and other vegetation leads to a cooling effect. Space in areas might be limited, but communities can integrate small green infrastructure into grassy or barren areas, vacant lots, and street rights-of-way.

Communities can make traditional water quality practices serve double duty by adding trees in or around roadside planters and other green infiltration-based practices to boost roadside cooling and shading. Examples include native, drought-tolerant shade trees and smaller plants such as shrubs, grasses, and groundcover. However, trees should be added in coordination with the green infrastructure designer or with the overall design of the approach in mind. If not integrated into the approach properly, tree roots can impair the approach’s structure or functionality.

Case Study: Evaluating Tree Canopy in Louisville, Kentucky In 2014, city officials in Louisville, Kentucky, awarded a $115,700 contract for a tree canopy assessment to help the city use trees to address urban heat, stormwater management, and other concerns. “Knowing where we lack canopy, down to the street and address level, will help our efforts exponentially,” remarked then-Mayor Greg Fischer. The study found that Louisville trees provide over $389 million in annual benefits through stormwater interception, temperature moderation, energy savings, increases in property values, air quality improvements, and carbon mitigation.

Build Green Roofs

Green roofs are an effective heat island reduction strategy, providing both direct and ambient cooling effects. They also improve air quality by lowering temperatures, absorbing pollutants, and preventing additional air pollution (pdf). Many communities offer tax credits for installing green roofs. Communities can check their local government’s website for opportunities. Examples of current programs include the RiverSmart Rooftops Green Roof Rebate Program by the District of Columbia and the Green Roof Tax Credit Program by the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Prioritize Green Infrastructure in Regular Upgrades

Building green infrastructure improvements into regular street upgrades and capital improvement projects can help ensure continued investment in heat-reducing practices throughout your community. See five strategies that can be used to reduce heat islands within ongoing and planned updates, and explore EPA’s Community Actions Database for implementation examples. Communities should also consider local concerns.

Resources

Guides and Fact Sheets:

Reports and Studies:

Reducing Urban Heat Islands: Compendium of Strategies, Chapter Three: Green Roofs — This EPA publication describes the causes and impacts of summertime urban heat islands and promotes strategies for lowering temperatures in U.S. communities.

Tools:

Editor’s note: Effective health system governance is essential to ensure healthcare services are equitable, efficient, of high quality, and accessible and affordable for all. It is also important to take effective measures to reduce the impact of climate change on human health to build a healthy society. Five experts share their views on the issue with China Daily.

(MA XUEJING / CHINA DAILY)

The increasing frequency of extreme weather and other climate-related events caused by climate change is affecting human health in multiple ways. Climate change is increasing the spread of infectious diseases: by directly impacting communicable diseases and indirectly altering vectors. Rising temperatures and pollution are directly impacting human health by contributing, through complex mechanisms, to increased incidences of cardiovascular, respiratory and other diseases. Changes in vectors due to climate change are influencing the transmission of infectious diseases. While frequent extreme weather events, leading to major natural disasters, also pose significant mental health risks, environmental effects of climate change like reduced crop yield and water shortage threaten people’s health and livelihoods.

For instance, changes in temperature patterns and atmospheric pressure, along with extreme weather events like heatwaves and cold spells, directly threaten human cardiovascular and respiratory systems, while heat waves overload the human thermoregulatory mechanism and exacerbate preexisting organ and tissue dysfunction, thereby increasing the risk of respiratory and circulatory diseases. Cold spells, on their part, induce vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels), raising blood pressure and increasing platelet count, and cholesterol and fibrinogen levels, all of which aggravate cardiovascular and cerebrovascular dysfunction.

READ MORE: China orders tourism safety overhaul after boat accident

Cases of mosquito-borne diseases including dengue and malaria are increasing at a rapid pace across most parts of the world. Shifts in environmental variables, including temperatures, relative humidity and precipitation, combined with growing human mobility have made vectors even more resistant, leading to rising cases even in regions earlier untouched by certain diseases (in high-altitude regions for instance). Besides, increasing air pollution, wildfires and prolonged exposure to extreme heat is increasing airborne allergen concentrations, thereby impairing people’s respiratory system. Climate change is also prolonging the pollen season and increasing pollen allergenicity, while extreme weather events like thunderstorms, with frequent lightning strikes, are fracturing pollens into smaller particles, increasing the risk of asthma attacks.

To address climate change-related health risks, countries worldwide are taking proactive, complementary measures. However, to overcome all the challenges created by climate change, countries have to implement long-term measures to transform their economies by making their power and industrial sectors eco-friendly and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, many countries have intensified their efforts to address climate-related health risks, with the World Health Organization according priority to addressing the climate-health challenges, playing a leadership role in highlighting the impacts of climate change on human health.

Through initiatives like the framework for building climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems, the WHO has been urging countries to integrate health adaptation measures into their climate-action strategy and allot more funds to combat climate change.

The WHO also spearheads the “Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health” to provide targeted support for health ministries of countries. The initiative focuses on fostering cross-sectoral collaboration, updating technical guidelines, organizing practical training programs, supporting project preparation and implementation, and securing dedicated climate-health financing.

The ATACH initiative has already established effective operational mechanisms in areas such as financial support mobilization, scientific research collaboration and pilot project implementation. These efforts have significantly advanced both research and practical applications in the climate-health field while strengthening interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral cooperation, turning the initiative into a robust support platform for advancing the global climate-health agenda.

Moreover, the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (or COP) has progressively integrated public health issues into the critical discussed topics and advanced numerous public health policies combining climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. COP28 was a milestone as it held the first “Health Day”, and adopted the “COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health”, which calls on all countries to address health threats including extreme heat, air pollution, infectious diseases and food insecurity while placing health at the core of their climate action.

The COP28 agreement also achieved a breakthrough by calling for “transitioning away from all fossil fuels”, highlighting renewable energy and low-carbon technologies’ crucial role in reducing air pollution.

ALSO READ: Smart cities can better tackle extreme weather

Before the opening of COP29 in Azerbaijan last year, the WHO released two key documents — the COP29 Special Report on Climate Change and Health: Health is the Argument for Climate Action and Quality criteria for integrating health into Nationally Determined Contributions — which emphasize the importance of integrating public health considerations into climate action.

The international community has embraced a health-centered climate action framework, integrating adaptation and mitigation strategies. By further fostering cross-sector collaboration, promoting innovation and deepening global cooperation on climate action, the international community can more systematically address the climate-health challenge. For that, however, the industrialized countries have to fulfill their promise of contributing to the global climate fund and transferring technologies to developing countries to help the latter better combat climate change.

Zhang Baichao is the section chief of the Division of Climate Change Impact and Adaptation, National Climate Centre.

Han Qinmei is a senior engineer at the same center.

The views don’t necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Key facts Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental risks to child health

In 2019, 99% of the world’s population was living in places where the WHO air quality guidelines levels were not met.

The combined effects of ambient air pollution and household air pollution are associated with 6.7 million premature deaths annually.

Ambient (outdoor) air pollution is estimated to have caused 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide in 2019.

Some 89% of those premature deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries, and the greatest number in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions.

Policies and investments supporting cleaner transport, energy efficient homes, power generation, industry and better municipal waste management would reduce key sources of outdoor air pollution. Access to clean household energy would also greatly reduce ambient air pollution in some regions.

Overview

Outdoor air pollution is a major environmental health problem affecting everyone in low-, middle-, and high-income countries.

Ambient (outdoor) air pollution in both cities and rural areas was estimated to cause 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide per year in 2019; this mortality is due to exposure to fine particulate matter, which causes cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and cancers.

WHO estimates that in 2019, some 68% of outdoor air pollution related premature deaths were due to ischaemic heart disease and stroke, 14% were due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 14% were due to acute lower respiratory infections, and 4% of deaths were due to lung cancers.

People living in low- and middle-income countries disproportionately experience the burden of outdoor air pollution with 89% (of the 4.2 million premature deaths) occurring in these areas. The greatest burden is found in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions. The latest burden estimates reflect the significant role air pollution plays in cardiovascular illness and death.

Policies reducing air pollution

Addressing air pollution, which is the second highest risk factor for noncommunicable diseases, is key to protecting public health.

Most sources of outdoor air pollution are well beyond the control of individuals and this demands concerted action by local, national and regional level policy-makers working in sectors like energy, transport, waste management, urban planning and agriculture.

There are many examples of successful policies that reduce air pollution:

for industry: clean technologies that reduce industrial smokestack emissions; improved management of urban and agricultural waste, including capture of methane gas emitted from waste sites as an alternative to incineration (for use as biogas);

clean technologies that reduce industrial smokestack emissions; improved management of urban and agricultural waste, including capture of methane gas emitted from waste sites as an alternative to incineration (for use as biogas); for energy: ensuring access to affordable clean household energy solutions for cooking, heating and lighting;

ensuring access to affordable clean household energy solutions for cooking, heating and lighting; for transport: shifting to clean modes of power generation; prioritizing rapid urban transit, walking and cycling networks in cities as well as rail interurban freight and passenger travel; shifting to cleaner heavy-duty diesel vehicles and low-emissions vehicles and fuels, including fuels with reduced sulfur content;

shifting to clean modes of power generation; prioritizing rapid urban transit, walking and cycling networks in cities as well as rail interurban freight and passenger travel; shifting to cleaner heavy-duty diesel vehicles and low-emissions vehicles and fuels, including fuels with reduced sulfur content; for urban planning: improving the energy efficiency of buildings and making cities more green and compact, and thus energy efficient;

improving the energy efficiency of buildings and making cities more green and compact, and thus energy efficient; for power generation: increased use of low-emissions fuels and renewable combustion-free power sources (like solar, wind or hydropower); co-generation of heat and power; and distributed energy generation (e.g. mini-grids and rooftop solar power generation);

increased use of low-emissions fuels and renewable combustion-free power sources (like solar, wind or hydropower); co-generation of heat and power; and distributed energy generation (e.g. mini-grids and rooftop solar power generation); for municipal and agricultural waste management: strategies for waste reduction, waste separation, recycling and reuse or waste reprocessing, as well as improved methods of biological waste management such as anaerobic waste digestion to produce biogas, are feasible, low-cost alternatives to the open incineration of solid waste – where incineration is unavoidable, then combustion technologies with strict emission controls are critical; and

strategies for waste reduction, waste separation, recycling and reuse or waste reprocessing, as well as improved methods of biological waste management such as anaerobic waste digestion to produce biogas, are feasible, low-cost alternatives to the open incineration of solid waste – where incineration is unavoidable, then combustion technologies with strict emission controls are critical; and for health-care activities: putting health services on a low-carbon development path can support more resilient and cost-efficient service delivery, along with reduced environmental health risks for patients, health workers and the community. In supporting climate friendly policies, the health sector can display public leadership while also improving health service delivery.

Pollutants

Particulate matter (PM)

PM is a common proxy indicator for air pollution. There is strong evidence for the negative health impacts associated with exposure to this pollutant. The major components of PM are sulfates, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, black carbon, mineral dust and water.

Carbon monoxide (CO)

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless and tasteless toxic gas produced by the incomplete combustion of carbonaceous fuels such as wood, petrol, charcoal, natural gas and kerosene.

Ozone (O 3 )

Ozone at ground level – not to be confused with the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere – is one of the major constituents of photochemical smog and it is formed through the reaction with gases in the presence of sunlight.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 )

NO 2 is a gas that is commonly released from the combustion of fuels in the transportation and industrial sectors.

Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 )

SO 2 is a colourless gas with a sharp odour. It is produced from the burning of fossil fuels (coal and oil) and the smelting of mineral ores that contain sulfur.

To read more details about these pollutants and other types, please visit this page.

Air quality guidelines

The WHO Global air quality guidelines (AQG) offer global guidance on thresholds and limits for key air pollutants that pose health risks. These guidelines are of a high methodological quality and are developed through a transparent, evidence-based decision-making process. In addition to the guideline values, the WHO Global air quality guidelines provide interim targets to promote a gradual shift from high to lower concentrations and their associated health benefits. For example, through the achievement of interim target one (35 µg/m3), around 300 000 deaths would be saved worldwide annually.

The guidelines also offer qualitative statements on good practices for the management of certain types of particulate matter (PM), for example black carbon/elemental carbon, ultrafine particles, and particles originating from sand and dust storms, for which there is insufficient quantitative evidence to derive AQG levels.

WHO response

Recognizing the gravity and urgency of the problem, all WHO Member States approved resolution A68.8, “Health and the Environment: addressing the health impact of air pollution,” at the World Health Assembly in 2015, complemented by a road map for action the following year.

WHO, as the coordinating authority on international health, supports countries in protecting public health through evidence-based policies and actions. Considering the significant health burden and the multiple potential benefits of interventions, WHO supports countries by providing evidence, building institutional capacity and leveraging the health argument to convene sectors to tackle air pollution.

To support reducing air pollution levels and to protect populations from health

risks, WHO’s Air Quality and Health Unit works in three cross-cutting areas:

1. knowledge, evidence and measuring progress

2. institutional capacity building and technical support

3. leadership and coordination.

Member States and sub-national entities are typically responsible for the implementation and

monitoring of policies to promote air quality for health. Successful policies

and solid governance depend on coordinated action between a variety of stakeholders and sec-

tors. Cooperation with other UN agencies and non-state actors is essential and is integrated

into WHO’s work to ensure synergies and maximize impact on the ground.

A full list of WHO’s activities to combat ambient air pollution can be found here and here.