Worldwide top 20 dirty cities: 19 are in Asia
Worldwide top 20 dirty cities: 19 are in Asia
A current report by IQAIR, a Swiss company that pursues the air quality worldwide, shows that almost all of the 20 polluted cities in the world were in Asia last year. This is alarming, especially since there are 13 of these cities in India, the most populous country in the world. There, the rapid economic growth is mainly driven by coal, while millions of people live in traffic -fulfilled mega -filled.
the most affected countries
among the worst affected cities there are also four in Pakistan and one in China and Kazakhstan. The only city outside of Asia, which is listed in this list, is N’Djamena, the capital of Tschads in Central Africa, which was named as a country with the worst air quality.
The heaviest air pollution in North America
In North America, all cities with the worst air quality recorded exceptional states - all in California. The report focused in particular on fine dust (pm2.5), one of the smallest and most dangerous pollutants, which arises primarily from the combustion of fossil fuels, dust towers and forest fires.
The health risks of PM2.5
pm2.5 particles are so small (1/20 of the width of human hair) that they can overcome the natural defense mechanisms of the body and get into the lungs or into the bloodstream. These particles can cause irritation and inflammation and are associated with respiratory diseases and chronic kidney diseases. Long -term exposure can cause cancer, stroke or heart attacks and is also associated with a higher risk of depression and anxiety.
The situation in India
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the average annual PM2.5 values do not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter. But the Indian city of Byrnihat recorded a PM2.5 value of 128.2-more than 25 times above the WHO standard last year. "It is very sad and powerless that Byrnihat is constantly at the top of the list," said Suman Momin, a 26-year-old resident of the city with around 70,000 inhabitants. She made factories and the booming construction industry responsible for the toxic air.
critical location in metropolises
Air pollution in India remains a big health problem. Although the country fell from third place to fif compared to the previous year, the burden of air pollution remains considerable and the life expectancy is estimated to be 5.2 years. In this report, the neighboring countries Bangladesh and Pakistan show places second and three in terms of pm2.5 particles worldwide.
The situation in China
china, which used to dominate the world's rankings of the worst air quality, showed a slight improvement. The national annual average concentration of PM2.5 fell from 32.5 micrograms per cubic meter to 31. For mega cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, an improvement in air quality was found. Nevertheless, China remains the world's largest carbon dioxide issuer and plans to build 100 gigawatts of new coal-fired power plant capacities, which is worrying.
global challenges of air monitoring
The report draws a dark picture of global air quality. Many countries, especially in Asian space, fight with inadequate surveillance measures and data gaps. Only 17 % of 8,954 cities analyzed worldwide met the WHO guidelines for air quality. The lack of data and monitoring stations will probably be tightened because the United States has announced that the air quality data that you collect worldwide no longer share due to "financial restrictions".
demand for change
The IQAir team calls on the governments to provide more funds for projects to promote renewable energies and to tighten the emission limits for vehicles and industrial activities. Suman Momin wishes that the authorities in Byrnihat take measures to keep their city at the top of the most dirty cities that are most dirty. "The people here have also developed breathing problems over the years. I don't want to leave this area. We want the governments to do more and work together," she concluded.