CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN : Impact on Air Pollution Across the World

Air pollution has dropped to unprecedented levels across the world as major cities and countries impose lockdown measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

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As humans stay inside, the environment is temporarily changing: wild animals are roaming in the streets and some typically smog-filled skies are clear.

The world's largest lockdown means all factories, markets, shops, and places of worship are now closed, most public transport suspended and construction work halted, as around the World governments ask its citizens to stay home and practice social distancing.

United States

Source : www.cnbc.com Araya Diaz | Getty Images

India

The sudden fall in pollutants and the subsequent blue skies signal a dramatic shift for India -- which has 21 of the world's 30 most polluted cities, according to the IQAir AirVisual's 2019 World Air Quality Report.

Source : http://edition.cnn.com Centre for Research on Clean Air and Energy, Central Pollution Control Board

People in Punjab-India, say they can see the snow peaks of the Himalayas, a view that for decades has been blocked by air pollution. New Delhi alone has recorded a 60% drop in fine particulate matter, the world’s deadliest air pollutant.

According to Gufran Beig, a scientist with the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) under India's Ministry of Earth Sciences,- the average nitrogen dioxide levels declined by 40-50% in the cities of Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad, compared with the same period in 2018 and 2019.

UK

Air pollution in UK cities is falling as the country goes into coronavirus lockdown. As daily life grinds to a halt in the UK, air quality has started to improve alongside the sharp reduction in traffic that causes much of the pollution in cities.

Monitoring shows levels of key pollutants nitrogen dioxide, which comes primarily from vehicle exhausts, and fine particles known as PM2.5, are low across London.

Source : www.standard.co.uk AFP via Getty Images

Kathmandu- Nepal

The Langtang range is visible from Kathmandu during the sixth day the nationwide coronavirus lockdown in Nepal on March 29. The restrictions have decreased air pollution in Kathmandu Valley, which consistently ranks among the most polluted areas in the world.

Source : www.cnbc.com NurPhoto | Getty Images

Jakarta

As shown in the picture below, a typical view of high-rise buildings covered by smog in the Indonesian capital on July 4, 2019. The bottom picture shows the same view of Jakarta during the lockdown on April 16.

Source : www.cnbc.com Willy Kurniawan | Reuters

Manila

In Philippines’ capital city, fine particulate matter — the world’s deadliest air pollutant — dropped by 180% since quarantine measures were imposed in Metro Manila on March 16, according to the Environmental Pollution Studies Laboratory of The Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology.

Source : www.cnbc.com Herman Lumanog | Pacific Press | LightRocket via Getty Images

Spain

Satellite imagery distributed by the European Space Agency shows the decline in average nitrogen dioxide concentrations from air pollution across Spain from March 14 to March 25.

Source : www.cnbc.com ESA | Handout via Reuters

Paris

The Eiffel Tower is seen clearly from the Parisian suburb of Saint-Cloud during lockdown.

Source : www.cnbc.com Michel Euler | AP

Despite the rare glimpse of natural beauty like snow-crested mountains and clearer skylines, scientists warn against celebrating any short-term benefits from the decline in air pollution since levels will rebound once global restrictions lift.

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