WMO: Link between pollution, climate change and health

The United Nations' World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned that there is a close link between weather-climate systems and world pollution, which affects people’s health and wellbeing.

Around nine in ten natural disasters can be traced back to weather, water and climate events, while air quality also plays its part, says the WMO.

WMO secretary-general Michel Jarraud says scientists are becoming more aware of the correlation: "For the air quality, what we are talking about is not only the sort of traditional pollutants as you could imagine them.

"But, it is also many of the gases, which are the greenhouse gases that are also influencing the quality of the air when they are abundant in the lower atmosphere."

The WMO, which was established in 1950, warns that climate change can make air pollution even worse and the former is expected to increase desertification worldwide.

Furthermore, drought and particle-producing fires will become more prevalent as global temperatures increase.