The Necessity to Account for Air Quality in Climate Change Strategies in Africa
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Date
2022-09
Authors
Diallo, Sokhna Mbathio
Seck, Abdoulaye
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
African Economic Research Consortium
Abstract
The process of economic development
and urbanization is Sub-Saharan Africa is
accompanied with worsening air quality in
urban cities. Most of the time (90%) during
a typical year, concentration of particle
matters remain above the WHO thresholds,
as a result of emissions from cooking energy (biomass), industries, and transport.
These high pollution levels lead to relatively high costs to the society and the
economy, in the forms of health burden from respiratory illnesses and premature deaths on one hand, resource misallocation, reduction in effective labor supply, and
growth drag on the other hand.
These adverse effects of air pollution are exacerbated by climate change or global
warming. For instance, there is a high correlation between ozone concentration and
temperature in regions with high air pollution levels. In addition, the number of
pollution-related deaths is significantly larger in the context of increased temperatures.
With the general aim of realizing sustainable development, which requires
a reconciliation between economic, environmental and social processes,
mechanisms underlying economically-generated air pollution need to be
accounted for in the broad strategy to combat climate change and its adverse
impacts on the economy and the society. Understanding individuals’ awareness
of and attitude towards air pollution and its various economic and health
consequences on one hand, and the extent to which air quality enter their
preference and valuation scheme, on the other hand, have the potential to garner
collective support to climate change policies. As a result, the latter will benefit
from greater legitimacy and more involvement of the general public, leading to
more effectiveness in, for instance, improving air quality.