| Sajha.com Archives | |
| Username | Post |
| SMSainju | Posted
on 12-Aug-02 09:35 AM
Asian Brown Cloud' poses global threat SMSainju |
| arnico | Posted
on 12-Aug-02 10:52 AM
Funny to suddenly see this making headlines! Now, in the monsoon, when the haze layer does not exist (got washed out by rain 7-8 weeks ago, and won't be back until October or so)... Also funny to see it suddenly break to the top of global news as a "new" threat... the atmospheric science research community has been talking about it for years (ever since the IndoEx research mission started)... and I have actually been taking pictures of it for years as well. Will try to post some scans if there is an interest, although http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2182783.stm already shows a picture taken from a Buddha Air aircraft over Nepal. The mention in another threat that it will "kill millions" may be a bit of a simplification. The haze does for sure lower agricultural productivity by reducing the amount of sunlight reaching hte ground (just as haze over China has been documented to be doing for years)... and it is certainly less healthy to breathe than clean air... but I think the people in the coming years who die of respiratory problems due to air pollution will do so mostly due to exposure to either indoor air pollution (severe in rural Nepal for example) or to local pollution (near sources) that is far more concentrated than the dilute regional haze (but part of the source of the haze). Standing on Shivapuri the haze won't kill you, but the source of the haze is the cars in Putalisadak, Chanakyapuri and elsewhere in the region as well as the factories, and residential fires... and living close to those sources may well make you sick or worse. Concerns for Nepal: 1) Decreased visibility, mountain views, tourism attractiveness (already becoming an issue). 2) Affects crop productivity. 3) Adds on to local air pollution making that worse; also makes it impossible for local authorities to control the air pollution in their area. 4) (as the articles mentioned): probably reduced rainfall (If anyone is interested in the mechanism for that then I will describe it out in detail... hey that was part of my qualifying exam...) 5) May threaten rare mountain plant species... 6) Mountainous areas may be more exposed to the haze layers than nearby plains, as they directly intersect aloft haze layers... *** they key point for Nepali policy makers is that given the size of the polluting population just outside of Nepal, the source of most of Nepal's suffering from the haze will be due to foreign rather than domestic sources. Domestic policy will barely make a dent in the problem, so better start brushing up on science and international negotiating skills... ...got to get back to work, but will write more about this if there is an interest. Arnico. |
| Sangey | Posted
on 12-Aug-02 01:17 PM
Now I know why I could not see Budhanilkantha from my rooftop in Baneswor. I could see it clearly 12 years back. Well, good thing about this brown cloud is that it is reversible. At least, by making this issue a headline, people become more aware. |
| arnico | Posted
on 12-Aug-02 01:58 PM
Sangey. Near the surface in Kathmandu, looking horizontally, it is not entirely clear what fraction of the drop in visibility is due to the regional brown haze cloud (mostly "imported" from the south) and what fraction is due to local pollution emission (such as from brick factories and diesel vehicles). Arnico. |
| arnico | Posted
on 12-Aug-02 02:04 PM
...as for its reversibility... it gets diminished during monsoon and it reappears in the dry season. If you want to get rid of it during the dry season then you need to find a way of telling a couple of hundred million people to stop burning coal and firewood... not easy... |
| manashalu | Posted
on 12-Aug-02 03:46 PM
As arnico mentioned above, I think we have two kind of air pollution problems; 1) In rural areas, mainly indoor air pollution: We know that only less than 15% nepalis have access to electricity and most nepalese have to depend on firewood which is also the main cause of deforestation hence with drastic result of flooding and landslide. I heard that our government has plan to provide electricity for 60% population around 2020, but I don't know how much it will be materailized. so most of our population have to depend on firewood still for many years to come and smoke produced by the fuelwoods has been the main cause of respiratory diseases among rural nepalese. Rural houses have poor system of air ventilation(very few windows), but they burn firewood and hence suffered by respiratory diseases. Somewhere, I read news that life expectancy of people living in MUGU district is just around 37, lowest in Nepal. Main cause of such a lower life expectancy is respiratory diseases. Due to cold season for long period, they stay inside home and to burn firelwood is the only one method for cooking and heating and they have also bad habit of heavy smoking. 2) In city areas, atmospheric pollution: Industrial air pollution has not yet become our biggest air pollution, but it will be better to think about air pollution problem of some industrial cities like Hetaunda, Butwal etc. now otherwise it will be late for our policymakers. 3)Air pollution problem in kathmandu valley: we have the most serious air pollution problem in kathmandu also due to its bowl shaped physiogeographic condition. Causes of air pollution in KTM 1) Several industries in KTM valley including HIMAL CEMENT FACTORY. It is pleasant that government has decided to transfer it's location. 2) Hundreds of coal and firewood burning brick kilns. Many of such brick kilns and other industries have not fulfilled required environmental standard and not equipped with dust precipation system. 3)Rapid increase in number of vehicles, poor quality of combustion fuel(heavy lead content and mixed; which can cause substantial damage to public health), very old vehicles are still running in kathmandu's road. Government decided to ban more 20 year old vehicles but still hard to implement their decisions due to strong protest from concerned perosns and org. 4)Firewood is still widely used many parts of valley areas, lack of dust control mechanism during the construction of buildings, infrastructures and other activities. 5)Severe shortage of open public space and greenary area within the urban area. Bad effects: 1)Deterioration of public health mainly due to respiratory and skin diseases. 2)Damage to cultural heritage; damage to marble statues, wood carvings, historical buildings due to chemical gases like SO2, NO2 etc. present in polluted air. 3)Others what arnico mentioned above. So, It has been time to think seriously to think about proper management of air pollution in KTM by our government,private and public sectors. Hope our policy makers,planners come with sustained, concrete and long time program to resolve these problems and to ensure wellbeings of inhabitants of KTM valley in time. Some suggestions: 1) Regular air quality monitoring system. 2) Setting up vehicle standard, fuel standard, emmision standard.. 3) Proper traffic management 4) Improvement in quality of roads, use effectrive dust control mechanism in infrastructre developemnt work, air emmission standard for industries/brick kilns and its effective implemantation. 5) Public awareness |
| nhuchche | Posted
on 14-Aug-02 12:39 PM
In a highly technologically times like today, why can't we send an airplane or a helicopter to the center of the 'brown cloud' and suck in all the foul air particles and purify it? I'm sure George Bush will be willing to help. |
| mother goose | Posted
on 14-Aug-02 12:54 PM
Because they are busy somewhere in Canada splicing genes and traferring them. They are busy transferring spider genes to goats and human genes to cows. That is why they are not sending a helicopter (!) to suck the suckers up! |