Addis Ababa, — New evidence in the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) annual Ozone and UV Bulletin published on Monday reveals strong evidence that the ozone layer is well on track for a long-term recovery.
According to the WMO, the ozone layer that shields the earth from cancer-causing ultraviolet rays is showing signs of thickening after years of depletion.
The World Meteorological Organization announced this in its annual WMO Ozone and UV Bulletin issued on Monday, with information on the state of the ozone layer and on measures to protect human health and the environment from damaging ultraviolet radiation.
The Ozone and UV Bulletin's release coincides with World Ozone Day which celebrates the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and the later amendment to the pact, known as the Kigali Agreement. That key international agreement saw an end to the production of "damaging ozone-depleting substances."
Noting that the ozone layer is on the road to recovery, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said further protection measures are essential.
"The Protocol's Kigali Amendment, which focuses on phasing down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) - powerful climate-warming gases - can contribute to advancing climate mitigation efforts, protecting people and planet," the Secretary-General said. "And that is needed more than ever, as temperature records continue to shatter."
The UN weather agency said ozone could recover to 1980 levels - before any hole in the ozone layer appeared - by around 2066 over the Antarctic if current policies remain.
This could also lead to full recovery of the layer by 2045 over the Arctic and 2040 for the rest of the world.
Matt Tully, Chair of WMO's Scientific Advisory Group on Ozone and Solar UV Radiation, said the organization's Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programme is continuously providing crucial support for ozone science by means of observations, analysis, modelling, data stewardship and capacity-building.
"It is critical that observations of ozone, ozone-depleting substances and ultraviolet (UV) radiation are maintained with the quality, resolution and global coverage necessary to account for changes in ozone over the coming decades," Tully said. "Many factors will influence the expected recovery of ozone, which must be fully measured and understood."
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WMO's bulletin also provided details on strategies to protect human health and the environment from ultraviolet radiation while exploring the impact of weather patterns and a significant volcanic eruption, on the Antarctic ozone hole in 2023.
While the bulletin details positive changes to the Antarctic ozone hole, it found that are atmospheric events can have a big impact on how the ozone hole develops periodically.
WMO says scientists still have some gaps in understanding these variables and will continue to monitor the ozone layer closely to explain any unexpected changes.
