Report on Southern California Wildfires and Air Quality Impact in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction: Regional Air Quality Advisory

A smoke advisory has been issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District for the Southern California region. This advisory is in response to significant smoke and ash emissions originating from three active wildfires: the Rosa, Gifford, and Gold fires. The resulting atmospheric haze poses considerable risks to public health and environmental stability, directly challenging the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2.0 Public Health Impacts and SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The primary threat to public health stems from high concentrations of fine particulate matter in the smoke, a critical concern for SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). These conditions undermine the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.

2.1 Analysis of Health Risks

According to Dr. David Lo, a researcher at UC Riverside’s BREATHE Center, these fine particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, delivering toxic chemicals and causing significant negative health effects. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is being used to monitor the threat, with levels above 150 considered unhealthy for the entire population.

2.2 Vulnerable Populations and Symptoms

The current air quality disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, posing a direct challenge to the SDG principle of leaving no one behind. Dr. Laren Tan of Loma Linda University Medical Center identifies these groups as:

• Children
• The elderly
• Pregnant women
• Individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions (e.g., asthma, COPD)
• Individuals with heart disease

Reported symptoms associated with exposure include:

• Wheezing and coughing
• Chest pain and tightness
• Throat pain and eye irritation

3.0 Community and Environmental Implications

The wildfire event and its consequences have broader implications for environmental health and community resilience, impacting progress toward SDGs 11, 13, and 15.

3.1 SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The smoke blanket compromises the safety and environmental quality of human settlements. The issuance of a public health advisory and recommendations for residents to remain indoors are critical measures for ensuring community resilience, a core target of SDG 11.

3.2 SDG 13: Climate Action & SDG 15: Life on Land

These wildfires are a stark manifestation of environmental challenges linked to SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). The fires contribute to the degradation of terrestrial ecosystems and highlight the urgent need for action to combat climate change and its impacts, which often include an increased frequency and intensity of such natural disasters.

4.0 Official Recommendations for Public Safety

In alignment with public health protection under SDG 3, health officials have issued the following directives to mitigate exposure to hazardous air quality:

1. Residents in affected areas should remain indoors and keep windows and doors closed.
2. Air conditioning systems should be operated on recirculation mode to prevent outdoor air from entering.
3. The use of high-efficiency air purifiers is recommended.
4. Strenuous activity outdoors should be avoided.
5. If outdoor activity is unavoidable, the use of an N95 mask is advised to reduce the inhalation of fine particulate matter.

The smoke advisory is currently in effect through midnight.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article extensively discusses the health risks associated with wildfire smoke. It highlights how fine particulate matter can cause serious health issues, particularly for vulnerable groups. Dr. David Lo explains how these particles get “deep into your lungs,” and Dr. Laren Tan lists symptoms like “wheezing, chest pain, tightness, cough, sometimes throat pain and eye irritation.” This directly connects to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The article focuses on the impact of wildfire smoke on a specific urban region, Southern California, and the city of Los Angeles. The issuance of a “smoke advisory from the South Coast Air Quality Management District” and the measurement of air quality using the EPA’s Air Quality Index are efforts to manage the environmental quality of the community, which is a core component of SDG 11.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Wildfires are climate-related natural disasters. The article discusses the immediate response to such a hazard, including the issuance of a smoke advisory and health recommendations for residents. This relates to strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• The article mentions “three wildfires burning in Southern California.” Wildfires are a direct cause of the degradation of terrestrial ecosystems, destroying forests and habitats, which is a central concern of SDG 15.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. The article’s focus on the health risks from “fine particulate matter” and “toxic chemicals” in the smoke directly aligns with this target.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality. The article’s central theme is the poor air quality in Southern California due to wildfire smoke, measured by the Air Quality Index, which directly relates to this target.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The “smoke advisory” and the health advice provided by officials (staying indoors, using air purifiers, wearing N95 masks) are measures to help the population adapt to and cope with the immediate impacts of a climate-related hazard.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. The wildfires mentioned are a direct cause of land degradation, aligning with the goal of combating this issue.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

For Targets 3.9 and 11.6

• Indicator: Annual mean concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The article explicitly mentions “fine particulate matter” as the primary health risk. It also details the “Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index,” which measures pollution levels on a scale from 0 to 500 and is used to categorize air quality from “healthy” to “unhealthy.” This index is a direct measure of air pollution.

For Target 13.1

• Indicator: Adoption and implementation of national disaster risk reduction strategies. The article implies this indicator through its mention of the “smoke advisory from the South Coast Air Quality Management District.” This advisory is a form of a local disaster risk reduction strategy, providing early warning and guidance to the public.

For Target 15.3

• Indicator: Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area. The article implies this by stating that “three wildfires [are] burning in Southern California.” The extent of the land area burned by these fires would be a direct measure of land degradation.

4. SDGs, Targets and Indicators Table

Source: abc7.com