ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE 2025
Battery Recycling and the Green Energy Transition in Bangladesh
Lead poisoning in Bangladesh is a major concern. There are many reasons for high lead levels in Bangladesh, and the relative attribution of lead exposure to various sources remains unknown. Yet one source of lead exposure stands out for its volume and climate connections: the production, use and recycling of lead-acid batteries. Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries. As an emerging economy, its demand for energy has also increased significantly in recent years, and the transition to renewable energy is thus a critical national priority. As part of this transition, energy storage, including lead-acid batteries, plays a critical role.
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Effects of Retirement of Coal-fired Power Plants on China’s Air Quality
Coal combustion from heavy manufacturing industries and power plants is a major source of air pollution [Ma et al. (2017)]. To reduce emissions from power plants, more than 180 coal-fired power plants with a total production capacity of more than 70 million megawatts were retired across China between 2000 and 2014. Statistics show that retired plants were two times smaller than those in operation, were much older, and were situated in densely populated areas. Intuitively, one should observe an improvement in air quality.
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Gender Disparities in Health Risks from Water- and Vector-borne Diseases
In many respects, the bacteria and viruses responsible for WVBD affect all humans indiscriminately. However, women are disproportionately exposed, rendering them more vulnerable to these diseases. In India, females tend to be more susceptible to WVBD compared to males. While Indian males account for 16.5 percent of global males’ WVBD DALY, the share rises to 18.8 percent for females. Even within India, WVBD DALY account for a higher share of overall DALY among females compared to males in the working age group of 15 to 69 years. Moreover, the disparity is broad-based.
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