99

CHALLENGES FACED TO
IMPROVE AIR QUALITY
AND REDUCING
CLIMATE CHANGE

FEBRUARY 9, 2023
HOO YUEN FONG
H00348000
The introduction of poisonous or otherwise damaging elements into the air is referred to as air pollution.
Toxic chemicals and biological compounds are examples of these substances. (WHO, 2023) For the past
few decades, many countries have contributed efforts in improving air quality by reducing pollution from
human activities while the governments are making sure industrial facilities abide by the environmental
guidelines, and this has dramatically reduced air pollution levels compared to 45 years ago. (CMM, no
date) However, air contaminants are still a major problem that is severely affecting human health and the
environment. In the following discussion, we will talk about the current and future challenges faced both
globally and in Malaysia to improve air quality and establish protocols to mitigate climate change.
It is certain that improving the quality of air is one of the many challenges that humans are trying to
tackle globally. To devise effective solutions, we must first identify what are the current difficulties that
are hindering us from achieving our goal. One of the biggest challenges is to reduce the burning of fossil
fuels. This process releases multiple pollutants like carbon dioxide into the air and according to an article
on CarbonBrief by (Hausfather, 2022), fossil and industry is responsible for 91% of global CO2
emissions in 2022, while land use emissions are responsible for the other 9%. These fossil fuel emissions
primarily result from combustion of coal, oil and gas. As mentioned before, we have made tremendous
progress in terms of reducing air pollution, but that is no reason for us to relax as new pollutants are
regularly discovered. According to (Ferrante, 2012) emissions of old air pollutants like Sulphur Dioxide
or Lead and other hazardous pollutants in Europe have significantly declined over the past decades, but
there are new problematic pollutants such as airborne particulate matter (PM), tropospheric (ground-level)
ozone (O3) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are causing harm to human health. Hence,
it is crucial for our society to continue their efforts in saving the environment. Other than the
aforementioned obstacles, we must not neglect issues that could come up in the future. Humans are
increasing at an alarming rate, which necessitates the expansion of industrial facilities. Constructing more
of these industries is detrimental to the quality of air. Authorities must develop better regulating
approaches or more effective abatement mechanisms to lessen their environmental impact. In addition,
many industries disregard environmentally friendly measures because they believe they could get away
with it. Governing authorities must intervene to ensure that any parties who violate the regulations
established by established organisations are held accountable for their activities. (CMM, no date)
Malaysia’s air quality sits on the low spectrum of moderately polluted, according to (IQair, no date).
However, there are months throughout the year that experience rapid spikes in pollution. They then
mention that the main causes of air pollution in Malaysia could be vehicles. The reason being nitrogen
dioxide, the primary pollutant emitted mostly from cars and other forms of transport, which often has
higher concentrations in the atmosphere that is above areas that have more traffic or large volumes of cars
passing through. This is an extremely alarming issue as Malaysia is currently so heavily populated with
vehicles that, according to an article on New Straits Times (Chan, 2022), vehicles have outnumbered the
population and is still increasing rapidly. They discovered in 2019 the country’s population increased
between 300,000 to 400,000 annually, while vehicles increased by 1 million every year. At this pace, we
can only imagine how detrimental the effect this has on our country’s air quality in the future. Moving on
to another serious matter, Malaysia is well-known for its seasonal encounters with massive clouds of haze
and pollution caused by open burning sources.
 Figure 1: Parts of Indonesia burning
According to another fact from (IQair, no date), these can take place locally, with forest areas and huge
quantities of organic refuse being burned out in the countryside and rural areas. The most noticeable
source is the infamous forest and farmland fire from Indonesia, primarily Sumatra, in which farmers
practice illegal slash and burn farming methods, setting fire to crop stubble and large areas of forest or
plant land (BBC, 2019). Because of the winds and geographical locations, this has the devastating effect
of causing massive amounts of smoke to find their way across to Malaysia. As a result, schools have been
forced to close owing to dangerous levels of particulate matter, putting children, the elderly, and others
predisposed to respiratory disorders more vulnerable than ever. This phenomenon has always been
diminishing Malaysia’s effort in improving air quality and must be stopped.
According to (WHO, no date), air pollutants are one of the main contributors to climate change.
Pollutants have a negative impact not just on public health, but also on the global climate and ecosystems.
Most efforts to minimise air pollution are "win-win" for both health and the environment. Lower levels of
air pollution improve both long-term and short-term cardiovascular and respiratory health in populations.
They also mentioned reducing ambient and household air pollution can also help to reduce CO2
emissions and short-lived climate pollutants like black carbon particles and methane, which can help to
mitigate climate change in the short and long run. Other than that, Malaysia can reduce its carbon
footprint by promoting the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, and reducing
its reliance on fossil fuels. This can be achieved through policies that encourage the adoption of clean
energy technologies and through the implementation of carbon pricing mechanisms (Khan, 2022).
Following the issue of vehicles outnumbering human population, encouraging the use of sustainable
transportation, such as public transportation, biking, and walking, can help reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from the transportation sector (Apta, no date). This can be achieved through investments in
infrastructure and policies that encourage the use of sustainable transportation options. Finally, Raising
public awareness about the importance of addressing climate change and the role that individuals can play
in reducing its impact is crucial. The government can launch campaigns to educate the public about the
impacts of climate change and how to take action to reduce their carbon footprint. (Khan, 2022)
Implementing these measures can help reduce the impact of climate change in Malaysia and contribute to
a more sustainable future.
In short, improving air quality and reducing the impact of climate change is undoubtedly a very
challenging goal. But through consistent efforts and wise decisions by the government and the public, we
can certainly expect great results and preserve the beauty of Mother Nature for future generations.
References
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CMM (No date) The Current and Future Challenges Surrounding Air Pollution Abatement. Available at:
https://www.thecmmgroup.com/current-future-challenges-surrounding-air-pollution-abatement/
(Accessed: 4th Feb 2023)
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