UN: Millions Die Due to Environmental Pollution

The United Nations, citing the results of a comprehensive study, has warned that air, soil, groundwater, and sea pollution causes the deaths of millions of people worldwide. The organization has called on governments to take serious action to stop this trend.

According to the latest United Nations report, released on Thursday, March 14, 2024, pollution of the Earth has reached such a level that it increasingly threatens human health. The report states: “Either we succeed in stopping this trend or millions of people in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa will face premature death by mid-this century.”

In the “Sixth Global Environment Outlook Report of the United Nations,” it is stated: “Environmental pollution was the cause of death of nine million people in 2015.” The United Nations has been issuing reports on predicting the state of Earth’s environment for the past seven years, prepared using methods similar to research by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change experts.

This year’s report is titled (GEO-6) “Healthy Environment, Healthy People”; a title that has been chosen very “optimistically” considering the state of the environment in the world, as the report essentially comes down to how much a polluted and deteriorating environment has endangered human health.

This report covers five main areas: air, biodiversity, drinking water, ozone, and soil. The researchers who prepared the report say that pollution in the first two areas is greater than the rest. Air pollution and greenhouse gases are currently claiming the most victims and are causing various diseases and the migration of millions of people.

Destruction of Biodiversity

Biodiversity has been severely impacted and has led to habitat destruction and the elimination of a significant portion of various animals, including insects. Damage that is very severe, but whose direct impact on human life has not yet become as apparent as in other cases.

According to the report, from 1970 to 2014, nearly 60 percent of vertebrates have disappeared. Depending on different habitats, 25 to 42 percent of invertebrates are at risk of extinction. The reduction in genetic diversity affects food production and the supply of various medicines, putting them at risk.

The report says that premature death of six to seven million people annually worldwide is solely due to air pollution. The most dangerous pollution is fine particles suspended in the air as a result of burning wood, coal, straw, and oil. The report also states that progress has been made in some areas. Including the reduced use of certain chemicals and the strengthening of laws related to preventing air pollution. However, this progress has been essentially ineffective due to deteriorating conditions in other areas, especially in developing countries and emerging economies.

The report notes that between 1998 and 2010, the number of national environmental protection laws in different countries increased approximately fivefold. Nevertheless, the emission of greenhouse gases continues despite all efforts to limit it.

Ocean Pollution

The report also mentions the release of eight million tons of plastic into the oceans annually. Seas and oceans are also facing warming, acidification, and overfishing. The protein needs of three billion and 100 million people worldwide are met by various types of fish. Fishing restriction laws have also failed in countries where proper monitoring and control is not exercised.

Likewise, the quality of drinking water has deteriorated in most areas since 1990, due to the entry of microbes, chemicals, heavy metals, or pesticides. One out of every three people still lacks access to drinking water and sanitation. Every year, one million and 400 thousand people die from preventable diseases such as diarrhea and parasitic diseases.

Antibiotic Resistance

Beyond this, due to the use of various pesticides in agriculture and aquaculture and the entry of these pesticides into sewage, bacterial resistance to antibiotics has increased severely. If scientists fail to find a solution to this problem, antibiotic-resistant bacteria can lead to the death of many patients suffering from infectious diseases. To prevent this danger, more countries must gain access to modern sewage treatment technology.

The report recommends that antibiotic use for treating humans and its use in agriculture be placed under greater control. According to this report, between 2000 and 2015, nearly one billion and 500 million people worldwide gained access to safe drinking water for the first time, which is a major step forward.

It has also been emphasized that policymakers must choose a new path for sustainable development, as the world is currently not on track to achieve the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.

The GEO-6 report is the most comprehensive environmental assessment by the United Nations in the past seven years. 250 scientists and experts from more than 70 countries are working on this. This program was released as part of a five-day United Nations environmental conference, which is taking place in Nairobi until Friday, March 15, 2024.

Source: DW