Situation analysis of ambient air pollution and respiratory health effects in Kathmandu valley

Abstract

Executive Summary: Introduction: Pollution induced respiratory diseases have increased worldwide, a phenomenon that can be largely attributed to environmental effects. Among environmental factors, air pollution is identified to be a major threat to human health. Excessive exposure and inhalation of Particulate Matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5), Carbon monoxide (CO) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) can lead to upper and lower respiratory tract infections in children and can cause chronic health impacts in adults. Major cities of Nepal are now considered unhealthy due to increase in population, unplanned urbanization, and industrial and vehicular emissions and so on. Beside these factors, improper implementation of policies and programs are also driving forces contributing to increase air pollution in Kathmandu Valley. Despite this situation, continuous air quality monitoring is not in place except some scanty reports from some places for some specific period of time. In order to find out a year round situation of the ambient air pollution in Kathmandu valley, Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) conducted a ‘Situation Analysis of the Ambient Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Effects in Kathmandu Valley,2015’ from 13 February 2014- 12 February 2015.