Combatting air pollution in Dhaka (audio)

Air pollution is one of the most serious threats to health and economies of our time. A 2022 study showed that pollution levels could reduce life expectancy across the world by around two years.

Dhaka's residents live in one of the world's most polluted cities and face losing around eight years of life due to high levels of particulate pollution. Emissions at the household level play a part in this, but their contribution is under-researched and, in some cases, misunderstood.

Promoting air purifiers

Portable air purifiers were brought into popular discourse earlier in the year during the wildfires in Southern California, when there was global coverage of their ability to provide clean air. But despite their widespread availability and protection against indoor pollution, they are largely less studied than heavier polluters like brick kilns.

In Bangladesh, air purifiers could reduce air pollution by around 80%. Yet, there is surprisingly little demand for them, even for those who can afford them (Greenstone et al. 2021, Greenstone and Jack 2015). 

In 2024, the International Growth Centre's Bangladesh Country Team launched a research project to understand why and to promote the adoption of air purifiers as a way to tackle indoor air pollution in Dhaka through policy change. 

Working in middle-class neighbourhoods in Dhaka, the study assessed factors, including the effects of air purifiers on households' efforts to reduce air pollution, electricity cost subsidies, and whether air purifiers influence collective action against air pollution. 

Reducing taxes

One key recommendation from this work is to reduce import taxes on air purifiers - a finding informed by conversations with the Deputy Commissioner of Bangladesh Customs and USAID.

"The total tax incidence on imported air purifiers is nearly 90% of the actual price. We're investigating what factors other than price could also explain the low uptake of air purifiers by households." - Aminul Aman, Research and Policy Officer, IGC Bangladesh.

Following the presentation of this research to an inter-ministerial meeting on air pollution in Bangladesh, action has been taken. The Minister of Environment has committed to working with IGC to reduce taxes on air purifiers. The National Board of Revenue has publicly announced that they have decided to reduce some taxes and provide exemptions on taxes applied to air purifiers - news that reduces the overall tax burden on air purifier imports from 59% to 32% and gained national media interest. 

Changes such as these could make air purifiers more affordable, more accessible to the public, and a more viable strategy for creating cleaner air indoors.

References

Greenstone, M, K Lee, and H Sahai (2021), “Indoor air quality, information, and socioeconomic status: Evidence from Delhi,” AEA Papers and Proceedings, 111.