Environmental alert: Peru has second highest number of premature deaths due to pollution

Peru has the second highest number of premature deaths due to air pollution (PM2.5) 230 and 176 deaths per million inhabitants, just like Chile.A study last year confirmed this world air quality report: Allows you to view the ranking of world air quality in real time in a simple way.

Likewise, according to the Directorate for Control and Monitoring (Dcovi) of the Ministry of Health, which is responsible for formulating policies to safeguard environmental health and food safety, domestic At the national level, air pollution from natural or man-made particulate matter is three times higher than expected Acceptable by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Experts say that while the situation poses different risks, it is the high level of risk that is most concerning. Polluted gases may lead to higher incidence of disease Respiratory, heart and brain diseases, etc. Therefore, they believe that the country must take urgent measures.

according to Ambipal Environmental Company of Peru – From a Brazilian multinational working on solutions to environmental emergencies and proper waste management – The most vulnerable area of ​​Lima is the most populous.

The list is headed by San Juan de Lurigancho, with 1 million 128,000 inhabitants; followed by Villa María del Triunfo (398,433); Calabayo (333,039); Lima Fence (268,352); and Santa Anita (196,214).

In these jurisdictions, citizens are exposed to airborne concentrations of particulate matter, a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets, with dust, smoke and soot being particularly prominent.

Its presence is associated with cardiopulmonary, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases (such as asthma and bronchitis), as well as lung cancer.Additionally, the study warns that circulation of polluted air, uncontrolled industrial emissions, informal burning of waste and other toxic gases can Promotes the development of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.

In this context, it is worth remembering that, according to a study by the University of Chicago, Lima has the worst air quality in Latin America. This reality reduces life expectancy for Peruvians living in the capital by 4.7 years.

Within this panorama, however, scholars point out that renewable energy—Substances obtained from natural resources (sunlight, wind, water, or biomass)— emerged as an alternative to reducing pollution.

This is because By eliminating dependence on fossil fuelsreduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases during its operations, Helps improve air quality and public health.

To this end, they point to the urgent need to build an energy transition to combat climate change, working hand in hand with the public and private sectors to achieve shared change. “From an economic perspective, although the initial investment in renewable energy technologies may be high, Operating costs are lower and in many cases the energy produced is cheaper in the long run” explains Gino Roque, deputy fleet manager at Ambipar Environmental.

“In addition, the industry has proven to be a significant source of employment, from research and development to facility construction and operations,” he added.