South Asia - Bangladesh: Improving Indoor Air Quality for Poor Families

Indoor Air Quality

January 27, 2008 - Solid fuels used for cooking in poor households are a major source of indoor air pollution and pose serious health risks to billions of poor people in developing countries. It is estimated that open fires using wood, animal dung, coal, and other bio-fuels chronically expose two billion people worldwide to toxic pollutants.

According to the WHO Global and Regional Burden of Disease Report, 2004, indoor air pollution is a major cause of death and illness in developing countries. Its effect on the respiratory system is estimated to cause between 1.6 and 2 million deaths each year in developing countries, with the heaviest losses in Asia (42% of total deaths) and Africa (28%). The majority of these deaths are in poor households, and approximately 1 million are children.

Indoor air pollution is a complex mixture of small and large particles. Recent epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to particulates, particularly small particles, is strongly associated with respiratory illness and death. Small particles are more dangerous, since they can be inhaled deeply into the lungs and settle in areas where natural clearance mechanisms, like coughing, cannot remove them.

Experiments in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, poor households depend heavily on wood, animal dung, and other biomass fuels for cooking. The extent and duration of exposure to pollution depends on the level of emissions, and the amount of smoke leaking from the kitchen into other living spaces. The location of the kitchen, the extent of ventilation, and the density of construction material used for the roof and walls also play a key role in the level of exposure to these pollutants.

A recent World Bank research project, drawing on new monitoring data for airborne particulates, has concluded that Bangladeshi households are exposed to indoor air pollution as much as 6 to 7 times more than an average family in Europe.

To understand whether changes in construction materials, space configurations and cooking locations can have significant effects on pollution levels, the research project has conducted a controlled experiment in Bangladesh. “Our research has come up with a series of low-cost policy options which can be adopted at a village level. This includes bulk purchase of cleaner fuels at lower cost, peripheral location of kitchen, rotation among family members for cooking so that a single woman will not be exposed to smoke every day,” said Susmita Dasgupta, Lead Environmental Economist in the World Bank's Development Research Group.

Analysis on Indoor Air Pollution in Bangladesh

Susmita Dasgupta, Lead Environmental Economist in the Development Research Group.

Susmita Dasgupta

- How serious is the problem in Bangladesh? wmv
- How prevalent is indoor air pollution in South Asia? wmv
- What made the World Bank t study this problem? wmv
- Who are most affected with this problem? wmv
- How does outdoor air pollution affect indoor air pollution? wmv
- What were the results of this experiment? wmv
- Were there any policy implications because of this study? wmv
- Concluding remarks wmv

Results

The results demonstrate that space and construction adjustments can significantly mitigate indoor air pollution exposure.

1. Outdoor air pollution is a major determinant of indoor air quality;

2. Building materials make a significant difference. In kitchen areas, brick walls are significantly more air-trapping than mud walls; Tin seems to contribute the most to healthy air quality, followed by thatch and mud; brick walls are the least preferable; and

3. Operating a living room fan does provide significant relief.

Additional Resources

- Bangladesh: Strategy for Sustained Growth
Bangladesh could join the ranks of middle-income countries (MICs) within a decade (by 2016) or some time soon after. This will require raising GDP growth to and sustaining it at 7.5% or more. (Read More »)

- World Bank in Bangladesh
Launching pad to all information on World Bank activities in Bangladesh. (Read More »)

- South Asia: Development Data
A wide range of social and economic measures on South Asia, including links to the World Bank's most important online development databases. (Read More »)

- South Asia: Analysis and Research
Compilation of all the World Bank's publications on South Asia, with 'search' options and links to analysis and research on other South Asian countries. (Read More »)

- World Bank Program in South Asia
Launching pad to all information on World Bank activities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.(Read More »)