Discrepancy of Air Quality between Developing and Developed Countries: Reasons and Implications (original) (raw)

Air as a vital driver of life on Earth can be a driver of death if its quality becomes detrimental to the survival of the organisms. Due to the epidemiological manifestations of poor air quality in many parts of the planet, air pollution has become a prominent socio-environmental issue. In this article, the state of the air quality of several developed and developing countries in the world, barriers in attaining good quality air, some social and medical implications of air pollution, and possible ways on how to abate air pollutants on Earth are reviewed. Findings revealed that the state of air quality of the developed countries is better than most developing countries. Most developed countries have able to maintain good air quality because they are stringent in abiding with the air quality standards. They have strong capabilities to monitor the air quality parameters regularly due to the presence of the modern technologies and well-trained scientists. On the other hand, most developing countries could not manage their air quality well because of some impediments. These barriers comprise lack of technical capabilities and financial capacity and absence or weak implementation of the regulatory standards for air pollutants. Air pollution as chronic problem has brought some environmental, social, and medical implications. Increasing amount of pollutants in the atmosphere had caused biodiversity loss, decline in agricultural production, and increased vulnerability of the various groups of people to diseases. The problem of air pollution will not be solved by using single strategy. This requires a holistic, comprehensive, and multi-disciplinary approach.