World Bank provides a clear, practical and scalable roadmap. The question now is whether South Asia will follow it.
The toxic air in South Asia harms tens of millions of children daily, killing an estimated 130,000 children under-fives each year, the highest child death toll from air pollution in the world, warns Jean Gough, UNICEF’s Regional Director for South Asia.
Including adults, up to one million people in the region die each year from the poisoned air they breathe. The Indo-Gangetic Plains and Himalayan Foothills, home to hundreds of millions across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, are choking on smoke and dust that could easily be avoided.
As a recent World Bank report makes clear, the tragedy is not inevitable. Cleaner air could improve the lives of nearly one billion people, save millions of lives and give the region’s economies a massive boost. The question is whether South Asia’s leaders have the willpower to act.
The scale of the problem is staggering. Air pollution is more than a health issue; it is an economic disaster. The World Bank estimates that it costs nearly 10 percent of the region’s gross domestic product every year, lost in healthcare, lost workdays and reduced productivity. Children grow up with stunted lungs, vulnerable to lifelong illnesses. Adults struggle with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Families face medical bills they cannot afford. In effect, breathing is both literally and figuratively expensive in South Asia.
The sources of this crisis are well-documented but complex. Households continue to rely on solid fuels for cooking and heating. Factories burn fossil fuels and biomass inefficiently, often without proper filtration. Vehicles emit clouds of exhaust because internal combustion engines dominate transport. Farmers burn crop residues, mismanage fertilizers and manure, and cities burn household and industrial waste. Each practice may seem small on its own, but together they create an atmospheric blanket of pollution that chokes life from the region.
Here is the good news. The solutions exist and they are achievable. The World Bank report outlines practical and scalable strategies that can transform the air we breathe.
Electric cooking and modernized industrial boilers and kilns can eliminate major sources of household and industrial emissions. Non-motorized and electric transport systems can unclog streets and reduce smog. Better management of crop residues and livestock waste, along with proper waste segregation and recycling, can prevent millions of tons of pollutants from entering the air.
These measures are not theoretical. They are financially viable, technically feasible and socially beneficial.
The report frames solutions around three pillars, namely abatement, protection and governance. Abatement focuses on eliminating emissions at the source. Protection ensures that children and vulnerable populations are shielded from harmful air during the transition. Governance demands strong institutions, regulatory frameworks, market incentives and regional cooperation to sustain progress.
In other words, the path to clean air is not about vague aspirations; it is about concrete actions backed by institutions and incentives.
Acting on these recommendations is not just morally right; it is economically smart. Cleaner air means fewer sick days, higher productivity and lower healthcare costs. For households and farmers, adopting cleaner technologies often saves money in the long run while improving quality of life. For governments, investing in air quality delivers returns in economic growth and climate resilience.
Martin Heger, Senior Environmental Economist at the World Bank, notes that “solutions are within reach” if coordinated and evidence-based policies are implemented at scale.
Still, knowing the solution is only half the battle. Implementation is where the real challenge lies. Ann Jeannette Glauber, World Bank Practice Manager for Environment in South Asia, emphasizes that cleaner air requires sustained collaboration, financing and action at local, national and regional levels. This is no small task. Governments must move beyond piecemeal policies. Communities, civil society and private enterprises must embrace cleaner practices. Every sector has a role, and every delay costs lives.
The urgency is immediate. Every smoky day translates into thousands of premature deaths, millions of lost work hours, and billions in economic losses. South Asia stands at a crossroads. One path leads to worsening health crises, economic stagnation and environmental degradation.
The other leads to healthier populations, stronger economies, and a sustainable environment. Choosing the right path requires political will, institutional coordination, and public engagement—but the stakes could not be higher.
Air pollution is not a natural disaster; it is a human-made crisis and it is reversible. Every chimney fitted with a filter, every household switching to clean cooking, every farmer adopting sustainable waste practices, every city embracing electric transport is a step toward saving lives and strengthening economies.
The World Bank provides a clear, practical and scalable roadmap. The question now is whether South Asia will follow it. Waiting is not an option. Cleaner air is not a luxury; it is a lifeline. The time to act is now.
Simi Garewal writers about the cultural and economic developments of South Asia as well as the global trend of climate change. She is a member of Global Affairs Writers’ Association.
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