Transportation Sector in Kathmandu Valley: Responsible for Significant Amount of Carbon Dioxide Emission & Correlation to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Abstract

For both developing and developed countries, one of the most serious problems is air pollution and also the primary cause of death. Air pollution was the second leading cause of mortality in one of the Kathmandu Valley's main hospitals in 2011, and the third leading cause in the United States. One of the key factors was the use of fossil fuels for transportation. Vehicle registration in the 665-sq.km Kathmandu Valley climbed from 45,871 in 1990/1991 to 570,145 in 2010/2011, a 12-fold increase in 20 years. Various government divisions provided statistics on car registration and the number of COPD patients. A survey of Kathmandu Valley residents was also used to acquire data on average daily commute distance and fuel mileage. This article calculates the quantity of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced by the transportation industry., and a link between CO2 emissions and COPD patients is established. The additional environmental pollutants like CO, NOx, SOx, and PM10 were also evaluated in this research. The CO2 emission in Kathmandu is in increasing trend. The emission in 2020 was approximately 1800 KT, whereas the emission is projected to significantly increase in the next 10 years by 4900 KT, according to the findings. Also, there is a strong positive correlation between CO2 emission and COPD patient in Kathmandu Valley. To reduce pollutant emissions, a more thorough inspection and maintenance program is required, which must include commercial vehicles. They are also the most essential vehicle category to address when it comes to reducing fuel usage and CO2 emissions.