Islamabad: Bangladesh has been declared the world’s most polluted country in 2023, while Pakistan ranked second in this list, where the amount of hazardous particles in the air was 14 times higher than the global standard.
A report based on an annual global survey conducted by the Swiss company IQAir has been released, revealing that only 7 countries in the world have air quality that meets the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the report, air pollution conditions are worsening worldwide. The determination of the air quality in any place is based on the concentration of tiny PM2.5 particles emitted during vehicular traffic and industrial activities.
The report revealed that in 2023, Bangladesh had the worst air quality, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 118.9 micrograms per cubic meter, which is 15 times higher than the WHO’s prescribed standard.
According to the WHO, the concentration of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air should not exceed 5 micrograms. Pakistan ranked second in this list, where the amount of hazardous particles in the air was 14 times higher than the global standard. India, Tajikistan, and Burkina Faso were ranked 3rd to 5th, respectively, among the countries facing the worst air pollution.
The survey covered 134 countries and regions, among which only Australia, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Mauritania, New Zealand, and Grenada were countries that successfully restricted the emissions of tiny particles during vehicular traffic and industrial activities.
IQAir conducted this report through data from its more than 30,000 monitoring stations worldwide. The report also revealed that last year, India’s city of Baghpat was the most polluted city globally, a name that was not present in the 2022 list.
This city had an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 118.9 micrograms per cubic meter. Indian cities like Guwahati, Delhi, and Mullanpur ranked from second to fourth in this list, with 9 out of 10 of the overall most polluted cities belonging to India. Lahore ranked 5th in this list, while Faisalabad ranked as the 12th most polluted city. Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, ranked 24th in this list.
The report emphasized that air pollution is affecting every aspect of our lives. It mentioned that air pollution reduces life expectancy by 3 to 6 years per person and increases the risk of various diseases. Breathing in polluted air leads to the inclusion of tiny particles in the bloodstream, increasing the risk of asthma, cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, cancer, and other illnesses.
According to the report, South Asia is the most polluted region in the world, but no progress has been made there to control this issue.
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