Latin American cities, characterized by their vibrant pace and human warmth, face a silent but significant challenge: noise pollution. According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the region exceeds the noise levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) by 50%.
The consequences of this urban cacophony are alarming. It affects sleep, hearing, cardiovascular health, cognitive performance and, in general, people's mental and emotional well-being. A study conducted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) revealed that noise pollution costs the region around US$17 billion annually in lost productivity and medical care.
In Latin America, this problem is exacerbated by the uncontrolled growth of cities, poor urban planning and the lack of effective public policies for noise control.
