Smog is a combination of two words: smoke and fog. The word smog nicely describes how smoke is merged with fog to produce a yellowish or blackish atmosphere with poor visibility. Smog consists of a mixture of pollutants (e.g., fine particles) and harmful gases (e.g., ozone and nitrogen dioxide) together with dust or soot and water vapor. This toxic air blend makes breathing difficult.
Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution because they (i) live closer to the ground where the concentration of pollutants peak and (ii) breathe more rapidly than adults. As a result they absorb more pollutants which impact the development of their lungs, trigger chronic asthma, and prompt the progress of childhood cancer. Later in life, a continuing exposure to air pollution may be at greater risk for cardiovascular diseases.
Smoke is produced by burning fuel in car, diesel generator, motorcycle, and ship engines, chimneys, and fires. Due to its toxicity to all living species, emissions from such sources are highly regulated in most developed countries. In low- and middle-income countries, these emissions are poorly controlled, leading to a substantial increase in morbidity and mortality incidents. In fact, more than 80% of the illnesses that occur due to air pollution are reported in developing countries.
Added to the high emissions from combustion sources is the reduced amount of rainfall that we have experienced in the past 10 years. Our winters are shorter, and our summers are definitely more extended and hotter, with a growing number of heat spikes. The effects of dry weather coupled with high temperatures are detrimental. They include saltwater intrusion, the drying of aquifers, the entrainment of dust from dried soil surfaces, and the increased frequency of desert storms and fires.
When a short winter leads to a low supply of water. It is the depletion of fresh ground water by pumping it up from the wells to the surface that leads to seawater infiltration further inland to replace it. This process is called saltwater intrusion. It is a problem in heavily populated coastal zones such as Lebanon where the saltwater levels in the aquifers and the dug wells have surpassed 1000 ppm (parts per million) in some areas. The salt levels in fresh water should remain below 300 ppm to be harmless to humans, animals, and crops.
Drought has also caused rivers to dry out, thereby affecting the livelihood of many farmers who have been forced to abandon their crops. Consequently, the dried land has increased the number, duration, and intensity of forest fires. We have witnessed a terrifying example of intense fires across the country in the past few days in Lebanon.
In the midst of all these challenges, our survival in the region is coupled with the great need to adapt.
We at the AUB Nature Conservation Center, have adopted a public participatory approach to work with and for the people on (1) reforestation programs that promote drought- and fire-resilient plants, shrubs, and trees, (2) citizen science projects to test and mitigate water, air, and soil pollution, (3) the protection of natural reserves and cultural sites, and (4) educational and awareness programs to support best environmental practices in schools, municipalities, and local organizations.
We hope to uncover the natural colors of our sky, sea, and landscape so that our children can look around and get inspired by the beautiful transformations and colorful changes that nature offers.