Burning agricultural wastes, forest fires, industries, emissions from inefficient cookers and fossil fuels are just some of the pollutants responsible for the formation of the brown cloud of thick haze that now hovers over much of Asia.

The cloud, which is 2 miles in depth, is blocking solar energy from reaching the earths surface by as much as 15%. It is cooling the surface of the earth while heating the lower atmosphere, consequently altering the seasonal monsoon patterns. This altered weather pattern has resulted in the reduction of rainfall across northwestern Asia and a rise in rainfall across Asia's eastern coast. The intensity of change can be seen in the droughts that plagued Pakistan and other northwestern parts of Asia from 1999-2000, while rains flooded the northeastern states of Nepal and Bangladesh destroying much of the croplands.

Even when rain falls regularly, it is acidic. Waterways, such as the Chao Phraya River have been declared fit for navigation alone, and foul sewer back-ups evaporate into a thin dust that fills the air. This dust only contributes to the mass of acids, aerosols and other particles that make up the cloud and fill the air that millions breathe each day. It is estimated that this pollution claims 2 million lives a year in India alone while, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sir Lank all have high incidents of death due to respiratory diseases.

The pollution in Asia was one of the many issues presented at the World Summit on sustainable development, which opened in Johannesburg on Aug. 26th. The goal of the summit is to take actions to sustain development while, at the same time, protect our natural resources and the environment. Although the delegates at the summit agreed on the importance of this issue, few measures were taken to rectify the situation. The resulting action plan does urge countries to validate the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change, which requires industrial nations to cut greenhouse gas emission by 5% in order to combat global warming; however, adoption of this plan is not mandatory and not all industrial nations are willing to accept the conditions of the Kyoto Protocol, including the US who is responsible for ¼ of the world's carbon dioxide.

In these early stages of research, scientists are uncertain about the implications this pollution may have on global warming and the rest of the world. Researchers continue using satellite readings and computer modeling to gather new information in search of solutions. They are certain that without a solution, the brown cloud will continue to impact Asia with increasing rates of pollution and fatalities. What is left undetermined is how this will affect the rest of the world if awareness fails to bring action.

© Melt Magazine 2002