A hole in the ozone layer "will completely heal within 50 years"

The hole in the Earth's ozone layer is expected to be fully repaired within 50 years, climate change experts say in a new UN report.

Fragile gas shield around the planet, the ozone layer protects animal and plant life from the powerful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. When the ozone layer is weakened, more ultraviolet light can pass through, making humans more prone to skin cancer, cataracts and other diseases.

Scientists discovered tremendous layer damage in the 1980s and identified chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, as the main culprit.

CFCs were common in refrigerators, aerosols and dry cleaning chemicals, but were banned worldwide under the Montreal Protocol of 1987.

The decline of CFCs in our atmosphere as a result of these measures now means that the ozone layer is expected to be fully restored in the 2060s, according to the report of the United Nations Environment Program. 39, World Meteorological Organization, the European Commission and other bodies.

In parts of the stratosphere, where most of the ozone is found, the layer has recovered at a rate of 1 to 3% per decade since 2000, according to the authors.

The amount of ozone in the stratosphere naturally varies throughout the year, with depletion of the area being most pronounced in the polar regions, resulting in what is called ozone holes.

At the recovery rates projected by the UN report, northern hemisphere ozone and midlatitudes should disappear completely by 2030, then the southern hemisphere in the 2050s and the polar regions of here 2060.

Erik Solheim, head of UN-Environment, called the Montreal Protocol "one of the most successful multilateral agreements in history".

Co – chair of the report, Paul Newman of NASA, said that two – thirds of the ozone would have been destroyed by 2065 if the measures had not been implemented.

In May, however, scientists from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported a sharp increase in CFCs of unknown origin.

"We are launching a flag for the international community to say," This is happening and it is moving us away from the timely recovery of the ozone layer, "said NOAA scientist Stephen Montzka. lead author of the study, in a statement at the time.

Mr Montzka said that if the source of new emissions could be identified and controlled, the damage to ozone should be minor.

However, if the situation can not be remedied, the already slow recovery of the protective layer from the atmosphere could be further delayed.