June 3rd, 2019, Bhawna Singh
Conserving electricity, setting the air-conditioner at a higher temperature and recycling or reusing products are some of the top measures taken
More than half of UAE residents (57%) are taking active measures to reduce air pollution, with a quarter (26%) claiming to do it regularly and almost a third (31%) doing it sometimes when they remember, YouGov’s new survey reveals.
On the occasion of World Environment Day, YouGov asked respondents what measures do they take to reduce air pollution around them. Majority of UAE residents (69%) try using lesser electricity at home by switching off appliances when not in use, using energy efficient fixtures, and so on. Women are more likely than men to check pollution in this manner (74% vs 66%).
Setting the air conditioner on 24 degrees or above (61%), recycling or reusing products (61%), washing full loads in the machine or dishwasher (58%) and taking shorter showers (56%) are some of the top measures taken by people to reduce pollution around them.
Improving the quality of air indoors is equally important in order to reduce household pollution. A large number of people use environmentally safe cleaning products (59%), keep indoor plants (58%) or avoid smoking inside the house (47%) in order to improve the quality of air indoors.
Outside their homes, people either turn off car engine when idle (60%) or keep it properly tuned (58%), and some people reduce individual car use by opting for carpools or public transport (49%).
Only 3 in 10 (30%) said they are investing in air-tracking or purifying devices, which is the least employed method to control pollution. Low awareness about these products could be a reason for this as the research shows that 28% people said they are unaware of this being a potential method to reduce pollution.
The research shows that close to half of UAE residents (48%) reported that either they themselves or their family members have suffered irritation in their eyes, nose or throat as a result of air pollution. More than a third have also experienced skin allergies (35%) and breathlessness (34%) as a result of polluted air, with a higher number of women saying they or their closed ones have suffered these conditions as compared to men.
Some people claim to have suffered more severe illnesses like respiratory ailments such as asthma (28%) and mental health issues such as depression (14%).
Data collected online by YouGov Omnibus among 1,005 respondents in the UAE between 20th and 27th May 2019 using YouGov’s panel of over 6 million people worldwide. Data is representative of the adult online population in the country