Environmental pollution in Cairo is undeniably a problem. Although Egypt is beginning to tap into its enormous potential for renewable energy – projects have now begun to build the Middle East’s largest wind farm and the world’s largest solar park – waste disposal is hugely inadequate, and water pollution is a significant issue for many communities. In addition, the level of noise generated by the city is such that it negatively impacts the lives of its inhabitants. It is Cairo’s air pollution, however, that is at the most critical level, with an estimated 43,000 Egyptians dying from diseases related to air pollution in 2012. Yet, with elections soon to be underway and a host of socio-economic difficulties, to many of the city’s inhabitants environmental pollution just does not make it high enough on the list of problems to be addressed. Indeed, air pollution itself seems somewhat elusive and beyond our control. The good news is, however, that its effects on our health can be counteracted somewhat, with some small, simple changes. According to the WHO, air pollution is one of the largest causes of death worldwide. Every year it claims 6.5 million lives and is a…
