ClairCity newsletter ClairCity newsletter July 2017 | Page 6

Facts and figures
Liguria is a narrow strip of fertile
land between the Mediterranean
and the Alps and Apennines. The
region has a population of over 1.5
million, a third of whom live in the
capital, Genoa.
The port of Genoa is the busiest in
Italy, moving around 52 million
tonnes a year. Industry in the
region is the main source of the
region’s carbon footprint.
Italian connection
In each edition we introduce one of our six pilot
areas. This time, the Italian region of Liguria
Air pollution Why is this happening? What are the health impacts?
Liguria is breaking EU regulations
on the annual mean of nitrogen
dioxide, and also breaking rules for
levels of ozone across Genoa.
Preliminary 2016 data on PM10
showed a worrying increase,
potentially exceeding permitted
levels. Sources of air pollution and carbon
emissions in Liguria are varied.
Transport is a significant cause,
including urban traffic, a large
motorway connecting France and
Italy, and shipping emissions from
Genoa’s port. High summer
temperatures increase ozone levels
and the consequent health effects. A study of Genoa showed an
increased number of deaths due to
air quality problems. Across Italy,
60,000 deaths a year are linked to
air pollution, including heart
attacks, strokes, respiratory
conditions and cancers.
Carlo Trozzi & Corra Boushel
ClairCity networks
Eva Csobod, senior expert of the
Regional Environmental Center
(REC), presented the ClairCity
project at the the Environment &
Health Ministerial Conference in
Ostrava, Czech Republic, on 13-14
June 2017. The presentation was
part of a conference side event
6
focusing the attention more closely
on vulnerable groups, such as
children and elderly, in the context
of health, air quality and climate
change.
The Conference was coordinated
by the World Health Organization
Regional Office for Europe (WHO/
Europe), the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE) and the United Nations
Environment Programme (UN
Environment) to call upon
European leaders to scale up action
to prevent environment-related
deaths and diseases affecting their
populations. The WHO European
Healthy Cities Network and the
Regions for Health Network are
strategic platforms for action at the
local level; they provide an
opportunity to strengthen joint
approaches and integrate
environmental, social, economic
and political dimensions for
improved health and well-being for
all.
Eva Csobod (work package leader
WP4, engagement)