Air Pollution: Join the UN Caribbean Roundtable Discussion on July 17

According the World Health Organization, 7 million people die prematurely every year as a direct or indirect result of air pollution. In addition, 93% of children live in areas where the air pollution levels are above the recommended standards of the World Health Organization.

We are intricately linked by the air we breathe- and thus the pollution emitted has the potential to harm not only our health and environment but also our sustainable development. Our vulnerability to climate change is also increased. As small-island developing states, this presents a grave concern for islands of the Caribbean who are already greatly vulnerable to issues relating to Climate Change.

Additionally, approximately 13,600 die prematurely every year as a result of air pollution in the Caribbean, according to UN Environment’s Air Quality in the Caribbean report. The leading cause of these premature deaths and related health issues, is often indoor air pollution.

The recently celebrated World Environment Day issued a call for the coordinated efforts of governments, citizens and the private sector to Beat Air Pollution.

It is in this respect that the UN Environment Caribbean Sub-Regional Office in collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre for the Caribbean will host an online roundtable to highlight the following:

• The problem, effects, impacts on health, climate and industries as well as related concerns surrounding air pollution in the Caribbean.  
• The importance of cross- sectoral approaches to addressing the issue of air pollution in the Caribbean- and what is currently being done.
• A sectoral approach- Successful approaches in sectors such as transportation.
• Practical steps governments, NGO’s and private sector entities can take in efforts to curb air pollution in the Caribbean.

THEME: BEAT AIR POLLUTION: A CARIBBEAN PERSPECTIVE

Though Air Pollution is a global issue, the roundtable aims to zoom into how air pollution affects the Caribbean directly, what are the major sources and what Small Island Developing States- like the Caribbean are doing and can do to reduce their vulnerability to issues relating to Air Pollution.

PANELLISTS/SPEAKERS

1. Dr. Ruth Potopsingh, Associate Vice President-Sustainable Energy & Head, Caribbean Sustainable Energy and Innovation Institute (CSEII) University of Technology, Jamaica
2. Mr Anthony Headley, Director (Ag), Environmental Protection Department, Ministry of Environment and National Beautification- Barbados
3. Dr. Azad Mohammed, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine
4. Dr Greenaway, Representative, Jamaica Environment Trust
5. Moderator: Mr. Vincent Sweeney, Head, Caribbean Sub-regional Office, United Nations Environment Programme

DATE, TIME & CONNECTION DETAILS

July 17, 2019

10:00 -11:15 AM (JAMAICA TIME); 11:00-12:15 (BARBADOS/TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO TIME)

facebook.com/CaribbeanUN

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES