Air pollution is a major global health threat, particularly in South Asia where it is responsible for 2 million premature deaths annually. The negative effects of air pollution on human health have been well documented, but effective strategies for mitigating these effects, especially in low and middle-income countries, are scarce. Indoor air purifiers are a promising option for reducing the impact of air pollution on health, but there is a lack of knowledge about how to effectively promote their use on a large scale. In Bangladesh, the effects of climate change, such as sea level rise, are particularly severe, leading many to move to cities in search of safety. However, these cities often have high levels of air pollution, which can be harmful, especially to vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and pregnant women. This highlights the interdependence of air pollution and climate change and the importance of understanding and implementing measures to protect against air pollution to both improve public health and facilitate adaptation to climate change.
Conditions for its citizens and ranks low in livability, with high congestion costs, poor solid waste management, and increasing air pollution. This project aims to understand the effects of air pollution on worker productivity, particularly the impact of heat and indoor air pollution on low-skilled workers in poor countries. It also aims to examine the effectiveness of monetary incentives and abatement measures in reducing productivity losses caused by environmental stressors and assess the welfare losses from low air quality on firms in a developing world context. The project will focus on designing and conducting data collection efforts and leading the analytical components of the work.
Dhaka (Kamrangirchar) and Narayanganj have been chosen as the study areas for this assessment because most of the garment factories in the country are located there. Poor governance and management have exulted in poor regulation of factories and vehicles, leading to significant air pollution in the city. The main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of poor air quality and heat on the productivity of low-skilled workers and to assess the effectiveness and impact of air quality improvement measures such as installing air purifiers in factories on productivity. The study will focus on factories with at least 8 workers, producing identical products (including men's, women's, or children's apparel) and paying workers on a piece-rate basis. The goal is to understand how these conditions affect productivity and how interventions like air purifiers can improve the situation.