For decades, air quality indices in Bogotá and Medellín were not as positive as those presented between March and May 2020, following the mandatory confinement ordered by the government to face COVID-19. Caused by increasing air pollution from emissions from traffic and industrial and productive activities, the constant red, orange and violet alerts had become almost never-ending. However, suddenly this situation was reversed and gave way to good and acceptable levels of air quality in both cities. Given the novel situation, it is worth reflecting on how to keep the air cleaner and build more resilient, inclusive and sustainable cities.
The pandemic led to a steep drop in air pollution
Measures to halt the current pandemic resulted in a drop in critical levels of air pollution. On April 3, Bogotá lifted its yellow alert following the decrease in the different forms of mobility and the cessation of most polluting productive activities. The levels of particulate matter dropped steadily to 11.50 micrograms per cubic meter, thus removing restrictions imposed on industries and vehicles last February. Air pollution also decreased markedly in Medellín in late March. According to the records of the Early Warning System of Medellín and the Aburrá Valley (SIATA), all air quality monitoring stations in the city went into the yellow category, after having registered between 4 and 9 stations in the previous weeks in red. This phenomenon also occurred in other cities such as Buenos Aires, Lima and Santiago de Chile.Poor air quality increases the vulnerability of the population
The coronavirus crisis has made visible how poor air quality increases the population's vulnerability to the impacts of this type of pandemic. A recent study from Harvard University shows that COVID-19 patients living in areas of the United States with high levels of air pollution were more likely to die from the infection than those patients in areas of the country with cleaner air. In Colombia, studies that warned about the cost of pollution for society had been previously carried out. Colombia's National Planning Department estimates that approximately 8 thousand deaths per year would be associated with the poor air quality, which, added to the costs of associated diseases, could represent $ 12.3 billion Colombian pesos (USD 3.3 trillion) annually (1.5% of GDP). To put it in context, to date there have been around a thousand deaths in Colombia caused by the virus. The situation reiterates the enormous importance of advancing more ambitious actions on this matter, which invigorate the public agenda for improvement in urban quality and reduce the vulnerability of populations in the face of health crises. In fact, health is a key pillar for resilience, and a population in good health can better cope with a pandemic.Innovative solutions are being adopted in cities
In the case of Bogotá and Medellín, government authorities are taking innovative measures that are having an impact on air quality. Regarding urban road infrastructure, measures were implemented around bicycle lanes in cities and to encourage the use of bicycles. The Medellín mayor's office established a strategy that included:- Priority shared lanes for cyclists;
- Temporary cycle paths on roads previously only for motorized vehicles;
- Shared bike lanes; and
- A digital communication strategy.