AS the world’s population continues to grow year by year, air pollution has become a significant environmental issue due to expanding industrial activities and modern machinery. While a single country cannot eliminate air pollution on its own, it must be recognized that if all nations make concerted efforts and cooperate, air pollution can be reduced to some extent.

Air pollution is occurring as a result of global warming, climate change, and the simultaneous advancement of technology. The large amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases released from factories, industrial plants, and motor vehicles enter the atmosphere and cause air pollution. The effects not only threaten human health but also endanger the lives of animals and the growth and survival of trees and plants.

The main contributors to air pollution are gases that contaminate the atmosphere, such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and other unpleasant-smelling substances. Smoke and gas emissions from factories and industrial plants, as well as exhaust fumes from various motor vehicles, also pollute the air. In particular, due to the increasing global consumption of fossil fuels, the release of carbon dioxide has risen significantly, gradually bringing air pollution to its highest levels.

Carbon monoxide emissions from motor vehicles can disrupt the oxygen transport in the blood, reducing oxygen supply to the brain and heart, which can severely harm human health. Deforestation also contributes to air pollution, and the burning of leaves, garbage, plastic waste, and harvested fields, as well as fumes from agricultural chemicals, further pollutes the atmosphere.

As part of its air pollution prevention efforts, Myanmar has been collaborating with neighbouring countries on transboundary smoke and haze control initiatives in line with the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) and its subsequent roadmaps, which provide a legal framework and action plans for preventing and mitigating haze. Local communities are being educated about the harmful effects of smoke and haze and are encouraged to adopt preventive practices, particularly avoiding the burning and clearing of fields before the next planting season, to prevent the occurrence of smoke and haze in their areas.

In addition, due to shifting cultivation practices, experts and relevant officials are educating local farmers about soil degradation and deforestation and are helping them adopt better agricultural techniques. Most importantly, everyone, both locally and globally, should act responsibly to prevent air and environmental pollution through their own behaviour. Only by doing so can people live in a cleaner environment and maintain their long-term health.

GNLM