The latest data reveals that in 2023, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India retained their positions as some of the world’s most polluted countries, with particulate matter levels far exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.
Published on Tuesday, the data indicates that Bangladesh and India took the spots previously held by Chad and Iran, showcasing an alarming trend of deteriorating air quality in South Asia.
Bangladesh witnessed average concentrations of PM2.5 soaring to 79.9 micrograms per cubic meter, while Pakistan recorded levels at 73.7 micrograms, both significantly higher than the WHO-recommended limit of 5 micrograms.
Christi Chester Schroeder, air quality science manager at IQAir, emphasized the compounding factors exacerbating air pollution in the region, including climate conditions, geography, agricultural practices, industrial emissions, and population density.
In 2022, Bangladesh ranked fifth and India eighth for air quality, indicating a worsening scenario.
Md Firoz Khan, an air pollution expert at Dhaka’s North South University, highlighted the grave consequences of air pollution in Bangladesh, attributing about 20% of premature deaths to this environmental hazard, with healthcare costs accounting for 4%-5% of the country’s GDP.
India’s pollution levels also surged in 2023, with PM2.5 levels exceeding WHO standards by 11 times. Notably, New Delhi emerged as the worst-performing capital city, recording PM2.5 levels at 92.7 micrograms.
Despite global efforts, only a handful of countries, including Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, and New Zealand, managed to meet WHO air quality standards in 2023.
The IQAir report, based on extensive data from over 30,000 monitoring stations across 134 countries and regions, underscores the urgent need for concerted action to address the escalating air pollution crisis.
Chad, previously ranked as the world’s most polluted country, was excluded from the 2023 rankings due to data issues. Similarly, Iran and Sudan were also removed from the list.
Christa Hasenkopf, director of the Air Quality Life Index at the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, lamented the lack of public air quality monitoring in 39% of countries, emphasizing the imperative of global collaboration to bridge these data gaps and mitigate the health impacts of air pollution.
