As rain continued into Tuesday morning, Dhaka’s air quality improved to a moderate level, registering an AQI score of 73 at 9am, placing the city 22nd on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality. Santiago, Chile, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Kampala, Uganda held the top three spots with AQI scores of 255, 166, and 163, respectively.
An AQI score between 51 and 100 is considered moderate, 101 to 150 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 is very unhealthy, and 301+ is hazardous, posing serious health risks. In Bangladesh, the AQI measures five criteria pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has struggled with air pollution for years, typically experiencing unhealthy air quality in winter and improvements during the monsoon season. Globally, air pollution is a major health risk factor. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for an estimated seven million deaths annually, primarily due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
