{"id":561768,"date":"2021-04-20T04:10:56","date_gmt":"2021-04-20T04:10:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/goinggreens\/what-is-air-pollution-costing-egypt-at-least-egp-47-bn-a-year-the-world-bank-estimates\/"},"modified":"2021-04-20T04:10:56","modified_gmt":"2021-04-20T04:10:56","slug":"what-is-air-pollution-costing-egypt-at-least-egp-47-bn-a-year-the-world-bank-estimates","status":"publish","type":"goinggreen","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/goinggreens\/what-is-air-pollution-costing-egypt-at-least-egp-47-bn-a-year-the-world-bank-estimates\/","title":{"rendered":"What is air pollution costing Egypt? At least EGP 47 bn a year, the World Bank estimates"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> What is air pollution costing Egypt? At least EGP 47 bn a year, the World Bank estimates.<\/strong> A USD 200 mn International Bank for Reconstruction and Development loan was greenlit two weeks ago<\/a> by the House Energy and Environment Committee. Its aim? To tackle Cairo\u2019s notorious air pollution. And it\u2019s urgent: Poor-quality air causes long-term health issues, while additional strain on healthcare systems and reduced productivity from chronic illnesses and missed workdays bring a sizable economic hit. A World Bank report (pdf)<\/a> relying on 2016-2017 data (the most recently available for Egypt) estimated that air pollution in Greater Cairo alone could be costing us an estimated EGP 47 bn \u2015 in 2017, that was equivalent to 1.35% of our GDP.<\/p>\n

Just how bad is Egypt\u2019s pollution, anyway? One of the worst globally, so yeah, pretty bad. <\/strong>A 2020 study combining data on air quality, light, and noise pollution found Cairo to be the world\u2019s most polluted city, out of 48 surveyed by UK solar comparison website The Eco Experts<\/a>. 2017 saw an estimated 12.6k premature deaths from Greater Cairo\u2019s air pollution and a collective 3 bn days of morbidity (days where people lived with illness) because of outdoor air pollution in Greater Cairo and inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene throughout Egypt, the World Bank report states.<\/p>\n

Cairo\u2019s haze is even more harmful than it looks: <\/strong>Air pollution is frequently measured<\/a> by the concentration of PM2.5 \u2014 a microscopic particle 2.5 microns wide and almost 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. On hazy Cairo days, high levels of PM2.5 enter our respiratory tracts and lungs. The WHO identifies<\/a> \u2018safe\u2019 levels of PM2.5 as under 10 micrograms per cubic meter (ug\/m3), and estimates<\/a> reducing concentrations to this level from the levels of 35 \u03bcg\/m3 common in many developing cities could lessen air pollution-related deaths by 15%. Between 1999 and 2016, Greater Cairo\u2019s average PM2.5 concentration was 84 \u00b5g\/m3, with the lowest concentration being 66 \u00b5g\/m3, according to the World Bank report.<\/p>\n

On average,<\/strong> Cairo\u2019s air contains levels of PM2.5 that are 11.7 times higher than the recommended \u201csafe\u201d level<\/strong>, WHO data shows<\/a>. Estimates use data from the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), and there are no nationwide estimates because of insufficient air quality monitoring outside of Greater Cairo, the World Bank report says.<\/p>\n

Where\u2019s it coming from? Burning materials, particles formed from other pollutants, and motor vehicles seem to be the biggest culprits. <\/strong>The most comprehensive studies monitoring Greater Cairo\u2019s levels of PM2.5 took place in winter and fall of 1999, and summer of 2002. They found that open burning (including burning of agricultural waste in the Delta), secondary particulates<\/a> (particles that form in the atmosphere from other gaseous pollutants, like sulfates, nitrates, chlorides), and motor vehicles were the biggest sources of PM2.5. Geological material, like wind-blown dust, was only responsible for about 9% of the PM2.5 in Greater Cairo\u2019s air, according to this study \u2014 though a later 2010-2011 study recorded higher figures. Accurate and updated information about the greatest sources of PM2.5 isn\u2019t easy to come by, the World Bank report notes.<\/p>\n

But it clearly results in increased health risks and premature death:<\/strong> Of the estimated 12.6k annual premature deaths from PM2.5 exposure in Greater Cairo in 2017, 59% were from ischemic heart disease (heart problems caused by narrowed arteries), 14% from acute lower respiratory infections, 13% from stroke, and 14% from lung disease, lung cancer and type 2 diabetes, the World Bank report shows.<\/p>\n

And brings soaring costs: <\/strong>Outdoor PM2.5 air pollution in Greater Cairo cost some EGP 47 bn in 2016-2017. Per capita, outdoor air pollution in Greater Cairo cost EGP 2.7 bn per 1 mn people in 2016-2017, the World Bank report shows.<\/p>\n

One glimmer of good news is PM2.5 per capita deaths could be falling:<\/strong> Greater Cairo\u2019s PM2.5 concentrations did improve between 1999 and 2016, with annual deaths per 100k people declining by 8% \u2014 from 79 to 73 \u2014 during that time, the World Bank report reveals.<\/p>\n

But this is effectively offset by our ballooning population:<\/strong> Rapid population growth<\/a> saw Egypt\u2019s total annual deaths from PM2.5 continue increasing during this time. With the UN projecting that we\u2019ll hit 200 mn<\/a> before 2075, the collective burden on healthcare services and workforce disruption is set to keep increasing too.<\/p>\n

The sizable economic hit from air pollution is a global problem:<\/strong> The total global cost of premature deaths, disabilities, chronic disease and sick leave from fossil fuel air pollution alone was estimated at USD 2.9 tn, or 3.3% of global GDP, in 2018, according to a report (pdf)<\/a> by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Fossil fuel PM2.5 air pollution was responsible for 1.8 bn days of work absence globally that year, the report estimates.<\/p>\n

Even within the global context, MENA \u2014 including Egypt \u2014 is particularly impacted:<\/strong> In 2018, 97% of cities in low and middle-income countries with over 100k inhabitants didn\u2019t meet WHO air quality guidelines, with MENA and Southeast Asia having the worst performance, according to energy and environment analyst Mahmoud Abouelnaga<\/a>. In Egypt, total welfare losses \u2014 a measure often used<\/a> by governments to assess the financial and intangible impacts of premature mortality \u2014 for 2013 from outdoor air pollution were an estimated USD 31.5 bn.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, cutting pollution is a no-brainer. The challenge is how to do it without impeding development.<\/strong> MENA\u2019s rapid urbanization and widespread reliance on fossil fuels leave us vulnerable to high levels of air pollution, writes Abouelnaga. Agriculture and industry contributed some 11.7% and 34.3% respectively to Egypt\u2019s GDP in 2017<\/a>, and must be supported to grow. So how can we reduce pollution without curbing our own economic growth?<\/p>\n

The answer could lie in a combination of government and private sector initiatives, <\/strong>development finance institution support, and lessons learned from other economies. We look at this in part 2.<\/p>\n

Your top climate stories for the week:<\/strong><\/p>\n