Geneva Sep 8, : Long-lasting, severe fires and heatwaves that are more frequent could cause even more deterioration in air quality, and a “climate penality” that could affect hundreds of millions of people, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned.According to the annual WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin released on Wednesday, an expected increase in the intensity, frequency and duration of heatwaves and the rise in wildfires in the coming century will increase air quality, which could harm the human health as well as ecosystems, says Xinhua news agency.
“As the planet warms the wildfires and their air pollution are predicted to rise, even in an emission-free scenario.Apart from human health effects, this could also impact ecosystems as air pollutants are absorbed in the Earth’s surface.” stated WMO Secretary General Petteri Taalas.
“We have witnessed this in the heatwaves in Europe and China this year, when steady high-temperature conditions, sun and low wind speeds contributed to high levels of pollution.
“This is a preview of the future as we anticipate an additional increase in the duration, intensity and frequency of heatwaves which could result in poorer air quality.This is referred to as the “climate penalty”.” he declared.
The “climate penalty” is specifically referring to the amplification of climate change effect on the production of ozone at ground level which adversely affects the air we breathe.
The areas with the highest projected climate impacts, which is primarily in Asia which is home to about one-quarter of all of the earth’s inhabitants.
Climate change may exacerbate the occurrences of surface ozone pollution which could have negative health effects on hundreds of millions of people.
Based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) the likelihood of devastating wildfires will likely to rise by 40-60 percent at the close of this century in an emission scenario with high emissions as well as by 30-50 percent under the low emission scenario.
If greenhouse gas emissions continue to be excessive and global temperatures increase by three degrees Celsius from preindustrial levels by the middle of the end of the second quarter of the 21st century.
Ozone levels are likely to increase in heavily polluted areas particularly in Asia.
While the majority of the increase in ozone will result from the growth in the emissions of fossil fuel combustion, around five percent of the increase is because of climate change.
the majority likely due to increasing heatwaves that can increase air pollution events.
In the end the heatwaves that are becoming more frequent because of climate change will likely to increase, resulting in an improvement in the quality of the air, IPCC said.
