Hsu cites lack of air quality data in China and India as real problem
Air pollution kills around 7 million people every year, accounting for one in eight deaths worldwide, according to a report from the World Heath Organization (WHO) released March 25. Thankfully, the problem is getting more media attention.
Despite all of the media attention, national air quality measurement capabilities remain weak in most countries. Problematic in and of itself, this gap makes country-to-country comparison of air quality very difficult. An accurate comparison between any two cities is virtually impossible because it would require data from consistently calibrated ground stations. Beijing reports data on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration on an hourly basis over a publicly accessible platform. New Delhi’s reporting is nowhere near as consistent or transparent.
New Delhi may or may not have dirtier air than Beijing, but it is clearly behind in how it makes air quality information available to its citizens (see the accompanying infographic). Without this transparency or commitment air quality in India and other countries that face similar information disparities will continue to worsen.
