A new report from a Swiss-based air quality monitoring organization warns that most of the world is now breathing polluted air. According to the report, only 17% of cities worldwide meet the air pollution guidelines set by health authorities.
IQAir, a Swiss air quality database, analyzed data from over 40,000 air quality stations across 138 countries. The findings revealed that countries like Chad, Congo, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India have the highest levels of air pollution. Notably, India had six of the nine most polluted cities globally, with Byrnihat, a town in northeastern India, being the worst.
Experts caution that the actual levels of pollution may be even higher, as many regions lack proper air quality monitoring. For example, in Africa, there is only one monitoring station for every 3.7 million people.
To address this issue, more air quality monitors are being installed worldwide. The 2023 report includes data from nearly 9,000 new locations, thanks to efforts to improve pollution monitoring.
However, a setback occurred last week when the U.S. State Department announced that it would no longer release air quality data from its embassies and consulates, reducing the availability of critical information.
Air pollution is linked to severe health problems, including respiratory illnesses, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer. Fatimah Ahamad, a leading scientist at the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health in Malaysia, noted that long-term exposure to polluted air is harmful. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution causes approximately 7 million deaths annually.
Ahamad emphasized the need for stronger action to reduce air pollution, pointing out that 99% of the world’s population lives in areas with unsafe air quality. She explained that unlike water, which can be managed with limited access, people cannot stop breathing when air quality is poor.
Cities such as Beijing, Seoul, and Rybnik in Poland have made progress in improving air quality by implementing stricter regulations on vehicle emissions, industrial pollution, and power plants. These cities have also invested in cleaner energy and public transportation.
In Southeast Asia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has worked to address air pollution caused by large forest fires. Though the agreement has had limited success, it marks an important step toward regional cooperation to curb pollution during dry seasons.
Shweta Narayan, a campaign lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance, pointed out that many of the regions with the worst air pollution also release high levels of planet-warming gases through the burning of coal, oil, and gas. Reducing these emissions could improve both air quality and the climate crisis, she said. “Air pollution and climate change are two sides of the same coin,” Narayan added.
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