Environmental noise has traditionally been dismissed as an inevitable fact of life and has not been targeted and controlled to the same extent as other health risks.
However, clear links have been established between excessive exposure to environmental noise and adverse health effects, such as annoyance, disrupted sleep cycles, cardiovascular disorders, and impaired cognitive development of children, as an environmental stressor, noise negatively impacts psychological and physical wellbeing.
Effective noise management and control, supported by legislation or policy, has a key role to play in achieving SDGs.