UNITED NATIONS, May 2: Millions of people, mostly in poorer countries, die of environmental related factors, including polluted water and air, a new United Nations study has said.In the poorest regions, environmental related but avoidable illness takes the life of some 11 million children every year and one in five children will not live to see the fifth birthday, it adds.The 369-page report says about four million children die annually of acute respiratory infections from polluted air from industrial sources.Malaria, which is also environmental related disease, kills 17 million people each year, it said.Pollution is increasing rate of asthma across the world and its incidence has risen by 50 per cent over last 20 years.Researchers say social and economic costs of not protecting environment are much greater than costs of protecting it.The report commissioned by two UN agencies and the World Bank was prepared by World Resources Institute, a private research institute.It says people faceenvironmental related problems even in developed countries, but those in developing nations face far larger risk. About five million people are affected by fertiliser poisoning each year in the developing countries, the study says.Besides excessive use of fertiliser is endangering eco-systems, causing harmful algae growth and killing fish in several areas of the world.In the US alone, some 80 million people are exposed to levels of air pollution that can impair health.In China, some two million people die each year from effects of air and water pollution.``Nearly 100 countries, both developed and developing, still use leaded gasoline, unnecessarily exposing citizens to a pollutant long known to cause permanent brain damage,'' the study points out.The study calls attention to situations in which problems and solutions are relatively well understood.While environmental problems are widespread, solutions are available though some are simple and others complex.The simple ones include improvingsanitation and ensuring better garbage collection. More complex are replacing fossil fuels and controlling insects which cause disease.
