Stakeholders have expressed concern and concern about the growing air pollution in South Asia.

South Asian countries have expressed concern about air pollution in the 'Asia Pacific Region Program South Asian Regional Workshop on Air Pollution' which started on Monday in Kathmandu. 

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Ministry of Forests and Environment, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and UNICEF jointly organized Nepal in the two-day workshop. , Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have participated. 

Forest Minister Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri has said that air pollution has emerged as a challenge for South Asia and it has directly affected people's livelihood.

'Air pollution has emerged as a serious challenge for South Asia,' Minister Shahi said, 'Each year increasing air pollution is affecting the ecosystem, economy and human health.' In South Asia, Nepal is also facing the challenge of air pollution Tell . According to him, Kathmandu is also coming ahead in the world in terms of air pollution. Therefore, he emphasized that air pollution is not a local problem but an international problem.

To implement the Asia-Pacific Regional Action Program on Air Pollution (RAPAP), ESCAP organized the workshop in Kathmandu to increase public awareness on air pollution, exchange information and resources with experts.  At the

workshop, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nepal, Tae Young Park, said that South Asian countries are the most affected by air pollution. Ambassador Park said, 'Air pollution poses a risk to public health and the environment, and South Asia is one of the most affected areas.' He also said that he is contributing. He also said that he is willing to cooperate with Nepal and the United Nations in air quality improvement.

Likewise, Golam Sarwar, Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) says, "Air pollution is an important environmental and public health problem in the South Asian region". Which is affecting millions of people in countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This is a matter of deep concern.'

The World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines (2021) show that seven million people die annually from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases due to air pollution. According to the World Air Quality Report 2023, 60 percent of South Asia's population is breathing polluted air. Which has exceeded WHO's air quality standards mentioned in the report . In this context, Sarwar said that the life and livelihood of South Asia is at risk.

He said that air pollution is worsening due to activities related to rapid urbanization, deforestation, and climate change. "Air pollution is a transboundary problem, which hinders the achievement of sustainable development goals in the countries of South Asia and beyond," he added.