Air
pollution is the presence of contaminant or pollutant substances in the air
that do not disperse properly and that interfere with human health or welfare,
or produce other harmful environmental effects (1) .Air pollutants may include
forms of matter of almost any natural or artificial composition capable of
being airborne. They may consist of solid particles, liquid droplets or gases,
or combinations of these forms. (2) Urban air pollution is linked to up to 1
million premature deaths and 1 million pre-native deaths each year. Urban air
pollution is estimated to cost approximately 2% of GDP in developed countries
and 5% in developing countries. Rapid urbanisation has resulted in increasing
urban air pollution in major cities, especially in developing countries. Over
90% of air pollution in cities in these countries is attributed to vehicle
emissions brought about by high number of older vehicles coupled with poor
vehicle maintenance, inadequate infrastructure and low fuel quality.
THE ABC FOR SUSTAINABLE CITIES
UNEP / UN HABITAT / FIDIC / GI-REC
Based on
OECD Glossary of Statistical Terms
Glossary of Environment Statistics, Studies in Methods, Series F, No. 67, United Nations
