Be the part of solution not the part of pollution. The unending race among nations all over the globe for development has jeopardized the human race

Nepal's air quality ranks 177th out of 178 countries, according to Yale's Environment Performance Index better only than Bangladesh.

The latest Environment Performance Index (EPI) 2016 released at the World Economic Forum puts Nepal 177 among 180 countries in terms of air quality. India, China and Bangladesh are the only countries performing worse than Nepal. It has ranked Nepal 149 among 180 countries, in overall performance.

The previous EPI ranked Nepal at 139 in 2014.(The index, a Yale University-based initiative, measures national and global protection of ecosystems and human health from environmental harm, draws out trends and highlights data gaps in priority areas including air quality, water management, and climate change.)

Under the air quality, one of the nine assessment areas to determine the overall EPI ranking, the exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, and percentage of the population burning solid fuel indoors were measured. The particulate matter (PM 2.5) is considered one of the most harmful air pollutants that lodge into human lungs and blood tissues, increasing the chances of lung cancer and other life-threatening respiratory diseases, among others.

The EPI report says that 75 percent of the total populations in Nepal are exposed to unsafe levels of fine particulate matter, as air pollution is a growing global problem.

Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database, has ranked Kathmandu (score 96.66 out of 100) the third most polluted city in the world after Tetovo (Macedonia) and Cairo (Egypt) at Pollution Index 2016.

Article 35 of the Constitution of Nepal has established "Right to Clean Environment" as fundamental right of the citizens.

It states, "Every person shall have the right to live in a clean and healthy environment." There is also a provision that ?victims of environmental pollution or degradation shall be entitled to compensation from the polluter as provided in the law?.

The Environmental Protection Act and National Ambient Air Quality Standard require the government to create a healthy and clean environment for people. But the government lacks specific plans and programs to control pollution to make country a cleaner place to live and breathe in.

Source : Yale Index , Numbeo

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