Page 114 - Universal

Since 2013, the report said, as hazardous air threatens to shorten lives further in some
of the country’s more polluted regions. In the densely populated New Delhi, the world’s

most polluted mega-city, the average life span is down by more than 10 years.
Reducing global levels of lung-damaging airborne particles, known as PM 2.5, to levels

recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) could raise average life expectancy
by 2.3 years, or a combined 17.8 billion life years the report said.

An average resident of Pakistan would gain 3.9 years from
meeting the WHO guidelines of limiting average annual
What you Think?ou Think?
PM 2.5 concentration to 5 micrograms per cubic metre, What y
while someone in Nepal would live 4.6 years longer if the How does hazardous
guideline was met, according to the report. air threaten to
shorten lives ?
China, meanwhile, has worked to reduce pollution by
42.3% between 2013 and 2021, the report said, highlighting
the need for governments to generate accessible air quality data to help bridge global
inequalities in accessing tools to combat pollution.

A news report by Reuters

The report stressed the urgent need for the conservation of
the most critically endangered species in India which includes
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Jerdon’s Courser, Great Indian Bustard, White-bellied Heron, What you Think?ou Think?
Bengal Florican, and Finn’s Weaver.

What is WHO ?
Habitat specialists — particularly birds of grasslands and
other open habitats, wetlands, and woodlands — are declining
rapidly. Among the most declining birds were the Raptors,
Migratory Shorebirds and ducks.

In terms of diet, carnivores, insectivores, and granivores are declining more rapidly than
omnivores or fruit- and nectar-eaters.

Separately, migratory species appear to be under greater threat than non-migrants. And
species endemic to the Western Ghats–Sri Lanka region are faring worse than others.

Certain groups of birds are faring particularly poorly, including open habitat species like

Bustards and Coursers, Riverine Sandbar-nesting birds like Skimmers and some terns,
coastal shorebirds, open-country raptors, and a number of Ducks. The finding that a large
number of common species are in trouble is a cause for concern. Equally worrying is
that a considerable number of species lack the data to be assessed, the report concluded.

To mention, the SoIB 2023 is a first-of-its-kind collaborative effort of 13 government and
non-government organisations, including the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS),
Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Wildlife Trust

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