Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, woke up to the disheartening news of being the 5th city in the world with the most alarming air quality this morning. At 9:01 am, the city recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 176, indicating a significant level of pollution.
The top four spots on the list were claimed by Lahore in Pakistan, Kolkata and Delhi in India, and Kathmandu in Nepal, with AQI scores of 211, 204, 201, and 193, respectively.
An AQI reading between 150 and 200 falls under the “unhealthy” category, while a range of 201 to 300 is considered “very unhealthy.” Beyond 300, the air quality is deemed “hazardous,” posing serious health risks to the residents of Dhaka.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is determined based on five key pollutants: Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and Ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, typically experiencing deteriorating air quality in winter and some improvement during the monsoon.
This latest ranking underscores the urgent need for measures to address air pollution in Dhaka, as poor air quality consistently ranks among the leading risk factors for global death and disability. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution claims an estimated seven million lives worldwide annually, primarily due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
