Danger In The Air

Nepal, known for its natural beauty, pristine rivers, and fresh air, is now roiled by choking smog over the cityscape. The air we breathe these days seems like a complex cocktail of dust, vehicle emissions, forest fire, brick kiln emissions, and open waste burning.  Kathmandu, the nation’s capital, often tops global rankings for poor air quality. Several major cities regularly register dangerously high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Kathmandu as of Wednesday was 207, which is very unhealthy.  

After the rainy season, Kathmandu dwellers hardly get to see the clear blue sky. Due to the change in precipitation pattern, the country had not experienced rainfall during this winter until Wednesday. This drought has allowed polluted air to linger instead of being washed away. Severe air pollution episodes in the valley and the Tarai during the winter season are largely driven by pollutants transported across the border rather than by local sources alone. Having said this, we cannot deny the fact that we are unable to curb the air pollution caused by smoke from vehicles, agricultural residue burning, forest fires, and road dust, with long-term sustainable solutions. 

As per the 2025 World Bank report, air pollution shortens life expectancy by 3.4 years and contributes to 26,000 premature deaths each year. Likewise, diseases like pneumonia, heart problems, lung cancer, and skin allergies are heavily linked to poor air quality.  Its economic loss is estimated at more than 6 per cent of GDP each year. Air pollution is putting a heavy strain on our healthcare system and tourism sector.  Nepal’s topography, lying between two industrial nations, makes it particularly vulnerable to transboundary air pollution. Pollutants emitted by neighbouring countries can travel long distances, carried by prevailing winds, and get trapped in Nepal’s valleys and plains. And lack of rain in winter exacerbates the situation. 

The bowl-shaped topography of the valley traps pollutants in the atmosphere, making its air toxic and almost unbreathable for its dwellers. Around a quarter of the pollution in the valley originates outside the valley, with more than half coming from outside Nepal. The transboundary pollution is even more prevalent in the Tarai. According to reports, around two-thirds of PM2.5 exposure there comes from across international borders. However, Nepal’s Air Quality Management Action Plan 2020 focuses mainly on the Kathmandu Valley, with no strategy for the heavily affected Tarai belt.

Worsening air pollution in Nepal is a complex and multifaceted crisis, apart from affecting public health. With levels of PM2.5 often far above international health standards, tourists tend to avoid visiting such destinations owing to health concerns. The Himalayan peaks, which used to be visible from very long distances, are seldom visible due to haze. Using cleaner technology and fuel in industries is important to curb the hazardous gases they emit. There are some policy contradictions the government needs to address. On the one hand, the government expresses commitment to promoting clean energy, and on the other hand, it imposes VAT and excise duty on goods like biomass pellets. Likewise, the government has not further reduced duties on the import of electric vehicles (EVs). Apart from enforcing strict vehicle emission checks, following strict emission standards, controlling forest fires, and expanding green space, addressing the air pollution problem needs bilateral and regional cooperation.