2023-12-04 11:12:21
The gleaming skyline of Dubai’s skyscrapers was obscured by a layer of fog described as “unhealthy” on Sunday, as thousands of delegates attended a meeting dedicated to the harmful effects of air pollution as part of the 28th United Nations climate conference, COP28.
The air quality index reached 155 micrograms per m3 of PM2.5 pollution – the most harmful fine particles because they can enter the bloodstream – according to WAQI. info, a real-time pollution monitoring tool. When air quality is “unhealthy“, “everyone may start to feel health effects, people in more sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects“, warns the site. Hazy atmospheric conditions were observed in the first days of COP28, where negotiators are trying to develop a global agreement to reduce carbon emissions and curb climate change accelerated by human activities. Around 80,000 people are are registered to participate in the largest edition to date of this event, organized in the United Arab Emirates, one of the largest oil producers in the world. This Sunday is a day dedicated to “health” at COP28, where discussions focus in particular on air quality and the harmful effects of climate change on health.
According to’World Health Organization (WHO), outdoor air pollution from fossil fuel emissions kills more than four million people a year because it increases the risk of respiratory diseases, strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes and other diseases. The damage is partly caused by PM2.5 microparticles which mainly come from fossil fuels burned in transport and industry.
COP28 is taking place approximately 11km from the Jebel Ali Seawater Desalination and Power Complex, home to the world’s largest gas-fired power plant. Two other polluting infrastructures are also nearby, Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum International Airport, while 200 km to the west is Abu Dhabi’s Bab oil field.
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