September 16, 2022
The ozone layer covers the planet Earth with a fragile shield of gas, to be able to stay away from the harmful rays which fall from the Sun. Thanks to the ozone layer, all living beings can be alive on Earth in safe and sound situations.
Many kinds of chemicals and gases such as halogen atoms (fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine) may cause ozone depletion due to bad impacts of methyl bromide, methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and families of chemicals known as halons, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) based on chlorine and bromine.
Depletion of the ozone layer may bring climate change and global warming which may cause catastrophes, natural disasters and unexpected diseases to the global society. As human beings are the most vulnerable among all living beings on Earth, they cannot or are unable to avoid the bad impacts of consequences triggered by the loss of the ozone layer.
But, human beings have the might of critical thinking on how to overcome the challenges of losing the ozone layer as well as how to manage the recovery of the ozone layer. It is very important. That is why global people including scientists and environmentalists are working in concert to prevent the loss of the ozone layer which protects human health and ecosystems by limiting the harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the Earth.
As part of efforts to join the programmes for protecting the ozone layer, Myanmar ratified the Vienna Convention for the protection of Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on 24 November 1993. Its country programme preparation was approved in 1994. Myanmar has been marking the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer since 1995.
According to the restrictions in the convention, global peoples are trying to halt the use of some 100 kinds of objects which may cause ozone depletion through the timeframes step by step. Their efforts show off the gradual progress of projects. First, China halted the production of Freon which causes the ozone layer.
That is why the ozone layer is located 9 to 19 miles above the Earth. The ultraviolet which falls from the ozone layer may cause skin cancer and cataract in humans. Due to numerous bad impacts of losing the Ozone layer, the 28th meeting of the Montreal Protocol adopted the Kigali amendment for halting the use of powerful greenhouse gas HFCs by developed countries starting from 2019 to 2022 and developing countries including Myanmar from 2029 to order to control the depletion of the ozone layer and mitigate climate change.
