How will climate change affect ambient air pollution and what can policy-makers do now? Lessons from India.

This article examines the impact of climate change on ambient air pollution in India, focusing on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and its sensitivity to weather variations, particularly in the densely populated Indus-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Using high-resolution satellite data and weather models, the study finds that changing weather patterns are predicted to increase average PM2.5 concentrations by approximately 3.1 µg/m³ by 2050 under a moderate climate scenario, resulting in an estimated loss of 364 million years of life expectancy nationwide. The authors propose that emissions fees should be regionally and seasonally calibrated to reflect variations in pollution vulnerability driven by weather, with the highest fees applied in areas like the IGP during dry winters when pollution is most severe. The findings highlight the importance of integrating weather dynamics into pollution regulation and policy design to mitigate the health impacts of air pollution exacerbated by climate change in India.