The Silver Lining of the Pandemic Cloud and Why It Matters

The present pandemic has predisposed a severe threat to the globe’s health and economy. Millions of individuals have already died due to this virus, and millions more are still sick. As per the World Health Organization, COVID-19 has caused over 4.62 million active infections and over 0.3 million fatalities globally as of May 16, 2020. According to current statistics, the vast majority of patients who died from the infection had underlying health difficulties such as kidney damage, heart conditions, diabetes, and so on (Li et al. 518). COVID-19 is among the largest pandemic in the 21st century, following the MERS, and has resulted in the extensive global quarantine (Zowalaty and Järhult). Thriving metropolises have become vacant lots, open spaces where people have gathered for decades have become practically deserted, and thousands around the globe are under lockdown. The quarantine established due to the coronavirus pandemic is devastating to humanity, with all markets closed, religious buildings shuttered, public gatherings prohibited, travel restrictions imposed, construction projects suspended, and the economy and stock exchanges globally collapsing. The coronavirus outbreak, on the other hand, has a number of positive aspects that the world has been witnessing all through the quarantine in terms of climatic and ecological changes. States-sponsored extensive quarantine restrictions around the globe led to a huge change in the environment, which is a promising indication for the comprehensive ecological adversaries, like pollutant gas effluents and ozone layer depreciation. This article discussed some of the good effects of the coronavirus-triggered lockdown on the ecology, as well as how the epidemic might be used to spur constructive change.

Climate and Air Quality Change

According to WHO, air pollutants kill seven million individuals annually, and over 80% of the metropolis populations are subjected to poor air (WHO 2020). As individuals stay at homes, air quality is enhanced substantially, notably in significantly impacted regions such as Wuhan, northern Italy and other significant metropolis in the United States. In 337 metropolis across China, emissions of dangerous gases among many pollutants declined by 25% early in 2020, and air quality enhanced by 11.4% than in the earlier past years. According to the WHO, this adjustment has saved 50,000 people in China alone (Kottasová).

According to the WHO, when the quantity of NO2 in the air surpasses 200 g/m3, it might trigger inflammation in the respiratory tract, leading to respiratory problems. Due to the present lockdown, transportation is limited, and industries are shuttered; as a result, NO2 levels in the air have plummeted dramatically in industries globally (from 5.6 g/m3 to 0.2 g/m3) (Otmani et al.). NASA and ESA monitored the ozone to track the sudden drop in NO2 level throughout COVID-19’s first quarantine stage in China. This drop in NO2 concentrations started in China and gradually spread throughout the rest of the globe. The reduction in NO2 level was important in China since the coronavirus pandemic struck at the same season as the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival); like all industries, transportation and enterprises were already shuttered COVID-19-induced lockdown.

The emission of co2 causes global warming (CO2). Emissions of co2 are greatly influenced by transportation, industry, and energy. The coronavirus induced intermediate suspension of such sectors has resulted in the highest drop in artificial CO2 emissions since WWII. Even during pandemic, aircraft aviation traffic plummeted by 60%, causing an intermediary decline in CO2 emissions relative to pre-crisis statuses. The coronavirus pandemic-induced lockout, for example, has cut carbon footprints in China by around 200 million metric tons. At least 77,000 lives might be spared due to this decrease (Climate Action Tracker). A similar impact has been found in northern Italy, with Columbia University scientists reporting a 5–10 percent drop in CO2 emissions. Therefore, the current COVID-19 control measures around the globe are revealing a direct link between pollutant concentrations and economic activity like manufacturing, transport, and energy generation, as well as small-scale city-level disruptions. As the corona pandemic subsides, this shows that clean energy-based systems will be required.

Aquatic Life and Water Quality Enhancement 

According to studies, the water quality in rivers and oceans improves during COVID-19-induced lockdown. The cessation of dumping wastewaters and other contaminants into water reservoirs has had a good implication on water quality. The Ganga River is among the globe’s most polluted streams