AIR QUALITY in the Philippine capital, Manila and nearby cities improved substantially after the main island of Luzon was locked down beginning March 17 to contain a novel coronavirus outbreak, according to a research group.

Metro Manila’s nitrogen dioxide level fell by 45% as transport activities slowed and electricity consumption by shuttered businesses declined, the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said in a report.

The group looked at the impacts on air quality of the lockdowns imposed in Southeast Asian nations.

It said that among countries in the region, Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur saw the most drastic and sustained change in air quality with a 60% reduction in nitrogen dioxide, compared with 2019 levels, as manufacturing and transportation activities slowed.

CREA said the air quality improvements were just anomalies if left unchecked after the lockdowns.

“Current improvements to air quality are anomalies and if left unchecked following the lockdowns, air pollution will return swiftly and the threats to human health and well-being linked to it will persist,” it said. — Adam J. Ang

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