OCF Conversation #02: Air Pollution: A Brewing Public Health Emergency in Bangladesh with Dr. Abdus Salam

Our Common Future Conversation

Our Common Future (OCF) is a podcast that seeks to dive critically into the issues of our contemporary world in hopes to use the nuanced understanding to reimagine the future of the people, planet, and prosperity.

Every week, Shamir Shehab sits down with thinkers, makers, and leaders from across disciplines to have a multidisciplinary understanding of our world today. On this episode of the podcast, he sits down with Dr. Abdus Salam to explore the complex and terrifying world of air pollution, discuss the many forms and hazards of air pollution, its many shapes and nature, causes and consequences of air pollution, the state of air pollution in Bangladesh, and how we can combat the growing problem of air pollution in Bangladesh, and much more.

Dr. Abdus Salam is a Professor at the Chemistry Department of Dhaka University and a prolific researcher who has been working with different aspects of air pollution for the last twenty years. He has great expertise in the subject matter, having worked with a wide array of themes, research techniques, and methodology over a range of national and international research teams.

Show Notes:

[00:03:58] Prof. Dr. Abdus Salam introduces himself and shares his work on air pollution.

[00:04:40] Prof. Dr. Abdus Salam explains air pollution and how it works.

[00:09:00] Prof. Dr. Abdus Salam explains how different particles can cause harm to the human body.

[00:11:35] Discussion regarding air pollution in major cities of the world and Dhaka.

[00:15:58] Reasons for air pollution in Dhaka during winter and transboundary air pollution.

[00:19:05] Trends of air pollution over the years in Bangladesh.

[00:29:56] Seasonal air pollution in Bangladesh.

[00:37:10] Sources of air pollution in Bangladesh.

[00:44:48] The current state of air pollution in Dhaka.

[00:49:30] Impacts of air pollution on human health, climate and economy.

[01:01:12] How air pollution affects mental health.

[01:04:25] The way forward

[01:16:56] THE CLEAN AIR ACT OF 2019.

“Our Common Future Conversation” is hosted by Shamir Shehab, produced by Shamir Shehab and Ruhul Kader; the audio is edited and mixed by excellent Towhidul Islam Rafi; transcription by Ayushi Khan and transcription review by Saleh Md. Sadi and Maliha. Special thanks to Bohubirhi from Shikho for technical support. OCF Conversation is a joint initiative of Future Startup and BYEI. You can listen to our whole conversation by following “Our Common Future Conversation” on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you get your podcasts and Future Startup website.