Air quality must have its own legislation in Brazil, argues Eduardo Braga

The worsening of the effects of the fires on Manaus and, especially, on the health of citizens requires, in addition to the immediate combating of arson and the punishment of those responsible, measures to guarantee air quality.

In the opinion of Senator Eduardo Braga (MDB/AM), the matter should even be a priority and standardized through its own legislation, as determined by Bill 4,262/21 presented by him. Currently being processed in the Senate, the matter establishes the National Air Quality Policy (PNQAr), with principles, objectives and instruments, as well as the National Air Quality Protection System.

“Institutional responsibility must be established through a law that requires compliance with air quality standards, constant monitoring, transparency in the preparation of plans and programs and the coordination and integration of policies and regulations on air pollution”,

says Eduardo in the project.

When justifying the proposal, the parliamentarian cites the publication of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), according to which one third of the world’s countries do not have legally required air quality standards. “And in countries where there is regulation, the standards are out of line with the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO)”complete.

The study’s estimate is that 92% of the world’s population lives in locations where air pollution levels exceed safety limits. This percentage includes, for example, Amazonians, according to the 2020 Human Rights Watch report.

Entitled “The impacts of fires associated with deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon on health”he concluded that the fires associated with deforestation in the Amazon had a significant negative impact on public health in the region in 2019. There were 2,195 hospitalizations due to respiratory illnesses attributable to the fires, mainly affecting babies and the elderly.

The study also found that patients spent a total of 6,698 days in hospital in 2019 due to exposure to air pollution from the fires.

“This year, with the unbridled spread of fires in Manaus, which made it one of the cities with the worst air quality in the world, the absolute numbers of care and hospitalizations will certainly experience a significant jump”,

evaluates the senator.

The worsening of the effects of the fires on Manaus (AM) and, especially, on the health of citizens requires, in addition to the immediate combating of arson and the punishment of those responsible, measures to guarantee air quality.

In the opinion of Senator Eduardo Braga (MDB/AM), the matter should even be a priority and standardized through its own legislation, as determined by Bill 4,262/21 presented by him. Currently being processed in the Senate, the matter establishes the National Air Quality Policy (PNQAr), with principles, objectives and instruments, as well as the National Air Quality Protection System.

“Institutional responsibility must be established through a law that requires compliance with air quality standards, constant monitoring, transparency in the preparation of plans and programs and the coordination and integration of policies and regulations on air pollution”,

says Eduardo in the project.

When justifying the proposal, the parliamentarian cites the publication of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), according to which one third of the world’s countries do not have legally required air quality standards. “And in countries where there is regulation, the standards are out of line with the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO)”, he adds.

The study’s estimate is that 92% of the world’s population lives in locations where air pollution levels exceed safety limits. This percentage includes, for example, Amazonians, according to the 2020 Human Rights Watch report.

Entitled “The impacts of fires associated with deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon on health”he concluded that the fires associated with deforestation in the Amazon had a significant negative impact on public health in the region in 2019. There were 2,195 hospitalizations due to respiratory illnesses attributable to the fires, mainly affecting babies and the elderly.

The study also found that patients spent a total of 6,698 days in hospital in 2019 due to exposure to air pollution from the fires.

“This year, with the unbridled spread of fires in Manaus, which made it one of the cities with the worst air quality in the world, the absolute numbers of care and hospitalizations will certainly experience a significant jump”,

evaluates the senator.

*With information from consultancy

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