Answer:
TRUE
Step-by-step explanation:
Africa is the poorest continent in the world - more than a third of the population lives below the poverty line, under $ 2 a day. But another villain has been more deadly than lack of food or access to clean water: air pollution.
Researchers from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) calculated the impacts of air pollution on the region. They found that nothing kills more than air: 712,000 deaths a year from pollution-related illnesses and infections. The problem is worse in the most developed countries in recent decades - Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia and Nigeria. According to the study, old cars and trucks imported from other countries are mainly to blame for poor air quality.
The problem is that there is no money left for the countries of the continent to invest in reducing air pollution. If they did, funding for other projects, such as basic sanitation and access to clean water, would be compromised. Therefore, investments in public transport and less polluting sources of energy are placed in the background.
And the trend is getting worse, thanks to the rapid urbanization of the continent. If today 472 million people live in urban centers, by 2050 this number is expected to reach 1 billion. The situation compromises the entire planet. After all, 16% of the world's population lives there - by the end of the century, with high birth rates, the continent will house 40% of the global population. If there is no help, any action to combat climate change becomes insufficient.