Nitrogen dioxide levels fell by 70% in coronavirus lockdown in Delhi: UN

Environmental gains will be temporary if economies reopen without policies to prevent air pollution, says policy brief

Levels of nitrogen dioxide fell by more than 70 per cent during the lockdown in New Delhi, a UN policy brief said on Tuesday, warning that the environmental gains could be temporary if the cities re-open without policies to prevent air pollution and promote de-carbonisation.

The UN Secretary-General's Policy Brief on 'Covid-19 in an Urban World' said that with an estimated 90 per cent of all reported Covid-19 cases, urban areas have become the epicentre of the pandemic. It also pointed out that several new scientific studies suggest that poor air quality is correlated with higher Covid-19 mortality rates.

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