United Nations officials, speaking privately in March, warned that Asian societies must clean up their cities or watch pollution erode their quality of life. It is conventional wisdom in Asia that freeing up business eventually moves society several steps forward. But national and local leaders only seem to be beginning to realize how many steps back pollution is sending their constituencies. Nearly everywhere, t he main source of foul air is vehicle emissions, especially those that are poorly maintained or run on diesel fuel. The number of motorcycles, cars and buses has doubled in less than a decade in Taipei.
Construction plays a part in dirtying the air too.
By the end of your stroll you are likely to have breathed in an unhealthy amount of dust. However familiar it may be, breathing the tiny dirt particles causes more than just sneezes. Doctors in Bangkok found 13 species of pathogenic fungi and 16 types of bacteria in the city's dust last year. Supposedly one of every six Bangkok residents suffers from allergies as a result of the high level of particles in the air. The actual level in Bangkok in 1994 was 340.