Air quality improved, then deteriorated again

Taalas noted that the blip in improved air quality during lockdowns triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic is not a substitute for long-term action urgently needed to decrease harmful air pollution. — AFP

Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns and travel restrictions caused dramatic, but short-lived, improvements in air quality and drops in pollution, the United Nations said on Sept 10 (2021).

A new report from the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) found that Covid-19 restrictions last year (2020) temporarily improved air quality in a number of places, especially in urban areas.