The good news is, the ozone layer is finally on the mend after decades of degradation, scientists say. The bad news is the ozone layer will take longer to repair itself than originally predicted. That's because the protective layer, which filters dangerous solar radiation, is repairing itself more slowly than forecast.
The level of ozone-depleting substances, while on the decline, is not being withdrawn from the atmosphere fast enough, making the recovery of the ozone layer a drawn out action.
"While these latest projections of ozone recovery are disappointing, the good news is that the level of ozone-depleting substances continues to decline from its 1992-94 peak in the troposphere and the 1990s peak in the stratosphere," said World Meteorological Organization (WMO) secretary-general Michel Jarraud.