After decades of work to clean up the air, Chile's capital is finally reaping the benefits. But experts say challenges remain.
Santiago has long struggled with intense pollution because of its unique geography and weather, which help to trap pollution in the city, particularly during the winter months. But a 30-year government-led effort that has encouraged greater public transportation use, limited the number of cars on the road each day, and banned wood-burning heaters in the winter has helped lift the smog from the city, according to the Guardian. Notably, hours of exposure to high levels of pollution have fallen by 66%.
The publication spoke with a few Santiago residents, who expressed that improvements in pollution levels have changed their lives for the better. For instance, one mother said her 3-year-old daughter's respiratory health has improved.
In addition to respiratory illnesses, dirty air can affect health in a number of ways. The World Health Organization noted that almost every organ in the body can be impacted by air pollution, and it has been tied to health concerns such as lung cancer and stroke.
Air pollution can also affect mental health. While this issue has been less studied than other health impacts, one paper found a link between air pollution and higher suicide rates.
While things are improving in Santiago, some researchers are still concerned. Though clean air policies are bearing fruit, the city still suffers from periods of dangerous pollution, they say, and this is being worsened by the climate crisis.
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Meanwhile, decades of smog have desensitized residents to pollution's impact, making it difficult to advance further measures such as electrifying homes, according to climatologist Raúl Cordero, a former member of Chile's scientific advisory committee on climate change.
"Twenty years ago, pollution levels were so severe they overwhelmed hospitals in winter," he told the Guardian. "Today, critical episodes have fallen so much that pollution is no longer a public discussion in Santiago."
This conversation isn't completely off the table, though. For instance, one Reddit contributor shared a photo in the /UrbanHell subreddit titled "Santiago de Chile has a huge smog problem." The image showed the city with a thick layer of black smog obstructing a clear view of the snow-capped Andes Mountains.
"Shame how beautiful those mountain peaks would look in clear skies," one person commented.
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Definitely 🥰 Meanwhile, the Climate & Clean Air Coalition said Chile has demonstrated a strong commitment to the Breathe Life Campaign, a global initiative to mobilize cities and people to protect people and the planet from the effects of air pollution with a goal of achieving the WHO's air-quality targets by 2030.
"Santiago has been leading the way with its Santiago Respira campaign since 2014, which aims to decrease global emissions of particulate matter by 60%," the organization said.
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