Seven million people die every year from the effects of air pollution. More than 90% of such deaths are in developing countries1. Across southern Asia, levels of fine particulate matter (PM ) and surface ozone exceed the World Health Organization (WHO) limits for much of the year2. Ozone damage to crops and plants — especially to soya beans, wheat and maize (corn) — results in 79 million to 121 million tonnes of lost produce globally, at a cost of US$11 billion to $18 billion3.
