International Clean Air Day, which is observed annually on Sept. 7, was proclaimed with the agenda of encouraging the governmental bodies of all nations to take necessary actions against environmental pollution and minimize the harmful impacts of industrial development.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) designated Sept. 7 as International Clean Air Day on Dec. 19, 2019, during their 74th session on sustainable development. The day was first observed in 2020 with the theme "clean air for all" and has since come to be celebrated by UN member states, UN organizations and government and non-governmental bodies worldwide.

In developing countries, air pollution is becoming increasingly threatening to humans and all living organisms due to the lack of technology and infrastructure to curb the spread of harmful substances in the environment.

The unregulated economic expansion has resulted in high amounts of pollutants being released into the air, leaving cities with bad air quality and small children struggling to breathe.

The major cause of concern is the contamination of water bodies with industrial waste, which can lead to severe cardiovascular or lung diseases and sometimes premature death.

However, improvement of air quality and ridding the environment of toxic substances can guarantee fewer deaths or hospitalizations.

To mark the occasion, here are some thought-provoking quotes about clean air that prove how vital is it for a healthy lifestyle: (Courtesy: Brainyquote.com)

  • "Because no matter who we are or where we come from, we're all entitled to the basic human rights of clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and healthy land to call home."- Martin Luther King III
  • "Clean air shouldn't be a privilege dictated by where you can afford to live but a right to which we are all entitled."- Kevin de Leon
  • "We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"- Lee Iacocca
  • "Clear skies and clean air must become the new normal. We must re-design our cities, reclaiming the streets for cycling and walking, allowing people to walk along streets unpolluted by traffic."- Caroline Lucas
  • "I have generally and will always fight for clean air and safe drinking water laws."- Sherrod Brown
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