BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. The annual cost of
health damage caused by PM2.5 emissions reaches $8 trillion,
Executive Director of the Clean Air Fund's Breathe Cities
Initiative, Cecilia Vaca Jones, said at an event "Breathing Life
into the New Urban Agenda: Integrating Air Quality and Green
Infrastructure for Resilient Cities" within the framework of the
13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Trend reports.
She noted that low-income communities suffer more from air
pollution. The main reason for this is that they live near major
highways, industrial zones, waste incineration sites, or in poor
living conditions.
"If we look at the air quality map of a city, we can also see
the most vulnerable and at-risk areas. It is in those places that
measures should be taken, because those are the people who suffer
the most from air pollution," she pointed out.
Jones emphasized that, according to the World Bank, the annual
economic cost of health damage caused by PM2.5 emissions alone is
about $8 trillion, which is equivalent to about 6% of global
GDP.
"It's not just about health costs. Air pollution causes lost
productivity, increased hospital admissions, school dropouts, and
additional burdens on families. Prevention is often cheaper than
treatment," she explained.
According to her, if cities could reduce people's exposure to
polluted air, it would both reduce the pressure on health systems
and improve the quality of life.
"Every asthma attack prevented, every hospital admission, and
every child who breathes better means savings for families, cities,
and health systems," the executive director noted.
She added that clean air is not against economic development and
can be achieved in parallel with sustainable development.
"Some people think that environmental measures weaken economic
growth. However, there is ample evidence that more sustainable
cities develop faster. Dirty air is not an inevitable consequence
of development," stressed Jones.
According to the executive director, the key issue is to make
air quality visible, measurable, and a key issue on the political
agenda.
"Cities need to ask themselves: Is air quality a priority?
Today's thriving cities show that clean air is an integral part of
better development," she noted.
Jones highlighted that collecting data on air quality helps to
make an invisible problem visible.
"Data allows us to identify sources of air pollution, the most
affected areas, and vulnerable groups. This helps policymakers make
better decisions, but data alone isn't enough. People need to trust
and understand this data," she added.
She further noted that community engagement and citizen
participation also play a role. This approach allows people to
change their behavior and actively participate in improving air
quality.
During her speech, Jones also touched on successful experiences
implemented in various cities. She gave an example of the "SUMA"
initiative implemented in the Colombian capital of Bogota.
"This program is implemented in the most vulnerable
neighborhoods. Within the framework of the project, urban planning,
green infrastructure, housing conditions, and the development of
public spaces are implemented in an interconnected manner, and air
quality is measured before, during and after interventions," she
said.
According to her, such an approach improves not only air
quality, but also the overall quality of life of people.
"If there are more trees, green infrastructure, quality housing,
and public spaces in a neighborhood, this has a positive impact on
both air quality and people's quality of life," Jones
underscored.
Today marks the fourth day of WUF13 in Baku.
The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the
New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women
and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban
prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and
Azerbaijani flags also took place.
The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit,
featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis,
urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the
opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a
significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin
American region and preparing for WUF14.
The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of
events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe
and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence
and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and
sustainable transport.
WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered
participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held
under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and
communities,” the forum brings together governments, international
organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to
strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban
development.
