Integrated analysis of air pollution, human health and income inequality for alternative climate change scenarios.

ended

Air pollution is the fourth global risk for human health, causing up to 6-8 million deaths annually worldwide. The main anthropogenic driver of air pollution is fossil fuel combustion, which is also the main source of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the implementation of alternative long-term mitigation strategies, aligned with the Paris Agreement, the European Green Deal, or the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals will have direct implications for human health attributable to air pollution. While different studies have estimated health impacts attributable to long-term exposure to ambient air pollution, these have focused on the region level, and do not incorporate population heterogeneity considerations (e.g. income groups). Furthermore, household air pollution is normally ignored in global scenario analysis. In this framework, the aim of the GRAPHICS project is to include population heterogeneity in the analysis of health impacts attributable to ambient and household air pollution. First, GRAPHICS will explore which is the current and future contribution of different population groups to air pollution for alternative scenarios at regional level. Then, the project will estimate the health impacts attributable to air pollution for the different groups in a business as usual scenario, and how they benefit from the implementation of alternative scenarios, co-designed with multilevel stakeholders, that represent different socioeconomic narratives, policies to reduce income inequality, air pollution control policies, or deep decarbonization strategies. For that purpose, GRAPHICS will apply a unique, open-source, integrated methodology that subsequently links an enhanced integrated assessment model with air quality tools developed during the project. GRAPHICS will make me grow professionally and achieve the next step in my research career, and it will open avenues for future research that will also benefit the hosting and collaborating institutions.