Dhaka’s air quality continues to be classified as “moderate,” with an AQI score of 81 recorded at 8:55 AM on Thursday. The city ranks 17th globally for the worst air quality. Kinshasa, Santiago, and Lahore top the list with AQI scores of 181, 181, and 137, respectively.
Dhaka has a long-standing struggle with air pollution, with air quality deteriorating in winter and improving during the monsoon season. According to the State of Global Air (SoGA) report, air pollution is the second leading global risk factor for premature death, causing 8.1 million deaths worldwide in 2021. Children under five are particularly vulnerable, with over 700,000 deaths in this age group in 2021.
The WHO estimates that air pollution kills seven million people annually, mainly due to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
