Santosh Harish

Air pollution is responsible for ~12% of global deaths. What can we do? | Santosh Harish (2023)

Santosh Harish, Rob Wiblin

Air pollution in South Asia, particularly India, causes approximately 6.67 million global deaths annually and reduces life expectancy by three years, primarily driven by household solid fuel combustion, vehicular emissions, and transboundary atmospheric conditions trapping smog over the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Despite the severe health and economic impacts, governance has failed due to outdated 1980s legislation, under-resourced enforcement agencies, and a lack of rural monitoring data, while current mitigation efforts often rely on politically visible but scientifically ineffective measures like smog towers. Open Philanthropy addresses this neglect by funding technical assistance, low-cost sensor networks, and simplified modeling tools to help policymakers overcome capacity gaps and implement cost-effective, evidence-based interventions.