世界发展银行-Arab-Republic-of-Egypt---Cost-of-Environmental-Degradation-_-Air-and-Water-Pollution_46页_1mb

Summary of "Egypt: Cost of Environmental Degradation: Air and Water Pollution"

Core Content

This report by the World Bank provides an assessment of the health and economic costs associated with ambient air pollution and inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in Egypt, focusing on Greater Cairo for air pollution and the entire country for WASH. It uses data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 and applies standard economic valuation techniques to quantify the social and economic burden in Egyptian pounds (LE) and as a percentage of GDP.

Main Points

Air Pollution

• Population Exposure: The report estimates that in 2017, the annual average PM2.5 concentration in Greater Cairo was 76 µg/m³, with a range of 66–86 µg/m³. This is significantly higher than the WHO guideline of 10 µg/m³.
• Health Effects:
  • Ambient PM2.5 exposure in Greater Cairo was linked to 12,569 annual deaths in 2017.
  • The main causes of death were ischemic heart disease (IHD) at 59%, acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) at 14%, stroke at 13%, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and diabetes Type II each at 14%.
  • The report also estimates that PM2.5 exposure caused approximately 249.9 million days lived with disease.
• Economic Cost:
  • The estimated cost of health effects from ambient PM2.5 in Greater Cairo was LE 47 billion, or 1.35% of Egypt's GDP in 2016/17.
  • On a per capita basis, this cost was LE 2.7 billion per million people, nearly seven times higher than the cost of inadequate WASH.
• Trends:
  • While PM2.5 concentrations in Greater Cairo declined slightly from 1999 to 2017, population growth led to an increase in annual deaths from PM2.5.
  • Annual deaths per 100,000 people from PM2.5 declined by 8% from 79 to 73 over the same period.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

• Health Effects:
  • Inadequate WASH was linked to 12,976 annual deaths in 2017.
  • The main health impacts were from diarrheal diseases and underweight in children under five.
• Economic Cost:
  • The estimated cost of health effects from inadequate WASH was LE 39 billion, or 1.15% of GDP.
  • However, the report suggests that water-related costs may be higher due to unaccounted exposure to lead, heavy metals, and chemicals.

Key Information

• Total Health Costs:
  • The total estimated cost of health effects from both air pollution and WASH was 2.5% of Egypt's GDP in 2016/17.
  • The cost of ambient PM2.5 in Greater Cairo was the highest at LE 47 billion.
  • The cost of inadequate WASH was LE 39 billion.
• Methodology:
  • The report uses the GBD 2017 relative risk (RR) functions and attributable fractions (AF) to estimate health effects.
  • It relies on data from the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), and other national and international sources.
• Support and Funding:
  • The study was supported by the Korean Green Growth Trust Fund (KGGTF) and the Pollution Management and Environmental Health (PMEH) Trust Fund.
  • It was prepared by Bjorn Larsen under the guidance of several World Bank specialists.

Structure of the Report

• Chapters:
  • Chapter One: Introduction
  • Chapter Two: Ambient Air Pollution
  • Chapter Three: Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
  • Chapter Four: Summary and Conclusions
• Annexes:
  • Annex 1: Health Effects of Particulate Matter Pollution
  • Annex 2: Health Effects from Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
  • Annex 3: Valuation of Health Effects
• Figures and Tables:
  • Includes data on population distribution, air quality monitoring stations, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations, health outcomes, and economic valuation.

Conclusion

The report highlights the significant health and economic burden of environmental degradation in Egypt, particularly from air and water pollution. It underscores the need for improved air quality and WASH infrastructure to reduce these costs and improve public health outcomes.