10 Most Polluted Cities in the World 2024
The most dangerous for health of all environmental threats in the world today is air pollution. Good air quality will promote public health, development and environment. With every breath we take, we inhale particles that can damage our lungs, hearts and brains resulting to a variety of diseases. Moreover, cities which are often ranked as “most polluted” tend to have high population densities, industrial activities and traffic congestion too. There are also occasions when pollutants are trapped by geographical conditions in such areas. Nonetheless, air pollution does not respect any boundaries; it crosses into the skies of developed and developing countries alike causing serious urban air-pollution problems.
Take a look at some of the Top 10 most polluted cities in the world 2024:
- Dhaka, Bangladesh
CAPS research group at Stamford University BD has been observing levels of air and noise pollution during celebrations associated with English New Year over last seven years. Dhaka is experiencing rapid urbanization coupled with fast growing population which has strained its infrastructure over time. Besides the high traffic density, there are lots of brick kilns which release huge amounts of particulates throughout the area around Dhaka city alone . Residents wear masks but more needs to be done about this situation. From 12am on January first 2024 till about 7am, the level of air pollution rose from roughly 64 micrograms to reach a peak level of about 249 micrograms/m3, counting as very unhealthy according to AQI threshold.
2. Lahore, Pakistan
Unfortunately Lahore Pakistan’s vibrant historical city came second on our list this year. Every winter temperature inversion combined with crop burning in Punjab Province results in smoggy conditions harmful for human beings due to vehicle exhaust gases coupled with industrial emissions emanating from surrounding areas (Guo et al., 2011). Consequently crop burning is prohibited while reforestation prioritized besides launching public transportation projects within the province. This reveals that sufficient legislations need to be established urgently because a lot of people experience respiratory problems during winter. Every Pakistani city listed in the 2023 report, had measured values above 30 μg/m3, at least six times higher than World Health Organization’s yearly PM2.5 guideline.
Begusarai, India
A new report on air quality in cities around the world has ranked Begusarai in Bihar as the most polluted in India and the world. There is nothing very special about Begusarai, located in eastern Bihar. It is not an industrial town and has no obvious source of local generation of pollutants. This is also true of the other Bihar towns on the most polluted list. The bulk of these pollutants come from burning solid fuels. Despite the success of schemes such as Ujjwala in many parts of the country, many rural households may still be burning solid fuels for cooking.
Khujand, Tajikistan
Khujand, also known as Khojand, is Tajikistan’s second-largest city. It is located in the Fergana Valley in the country’s north. The current concentration of PM2.5 in Khujand is 64 (µg/m³), 2.56 times the WHO recommended limit. This is likely caused by industrial emissions, particularly from cement and power plants, along with vehicle exhaust as the city grows.
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
According to WHO recommendations, Burkina Faso’s air quality is dangerous.The annual mean PM2.5 concentration of Burkina Faso country stands at 46 µg/m3 which exceeds maximum permissible value (10 µg/m3) by more than four times.. Increasingly polluted air monitored ambiently focuses on those pollutions that are identified to be posing major health risk to people living within a community.
6.Erbil,Iraq
Erbil has faced serious environmental degradation due to urban expansion,motorization ,industrialization,and low fuel consumption.While being both historical and modern Erbil faces problems with its air quality.
7.Dubai,UAE
Iraq (43.8 μg/m3) and the UAE (43.0 μg/m3) were ranked among the ten most polluted countries in the world in 2023. Five of them are capital cities: Baghdad, Kuwait City, Manama, Abu Dhabi, and Doha; this means that out of eight most polluted cities five are capitals of their states.However,the annual average PM2.5 concentrations reduced for 9 West Asian highly-polluted cities.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Kathmandu is one of the top ten most dirtied cities globally by PM2·5 with 154μg/m3 level. Air pollution in the Kathmandu Valley has escalated to hazardous levels, leading to serious public health concerns. Burning of agricultural waste in the Tarai and dirtier air from India will further deteriorate its quality.
Cairo City, Egypt
Pollution from traffic congestion, raodside (slash-and-burn) clearance for agriculture electricity generation by industry and open burning of trash threatens long-term prospects for economic growth even as it contributes a third of Egypt’s present GDP. The World Bank estimates that air pollution costs this region at least 2%of its gross domestic product every year. In Cairo alone air pollution causes approximately 18000 premature deaths or 16% of total number per annum.
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Outdoor annual PM2·5 levels in Democratic Republic Congo can be higher than WHO Air Quality Guideline particularly within major towns such as Kinshasa which is home to over eleven million people. At least 90% of DRC population breathes heavily polluted cooking smoke everyday since majority depend on woods for energy use is a result more than wood stoves are made by more than ninety percent DRC’s inhabitants.Ambient and residential air pollution in… are estimated to cause more than thirty two thousand deaths each year.
Air Pollution as a Global Issue
Air pollution is a significant global environmental problem that affects our health and our food supply. It kills about three point seven million people worldwide annually and destroys sufficient crops to feed many millions more.The figures account for six point seven percent global lead figure death rates and were responsible for sixteen percent lung cancer deaths, eleven percent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease related deaths, twenty nine percent heart disease and stroke cases along with nearly thirteen percent respiratory infections caused fatalities. Cardiovascular disease has been directly linked to exposure to PM2·5 in air pollution. The following are key aspects of air pollution as a global concern:
Effects of Health on Air
- Respiratory conditions such as asthma are exacerbated by air pollutants like particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide leading to cardiovascular diseases and premature death.
- Children can develop lung cancer and developmental problems if they are exposed to it over the long term.
Environmental Consequences
- Acid Rain: It is caused by releasing sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which reacts with water vapor in the atmosphere harming aquatic life, forests and buildings.
- Eutrophication: Nitrogen compounds from agricultural runoff and emissions results in nutrient pollution in the bodies of water leading to excessive algae growth that affects aquatic life.
- Climate Change: This is due to the trapping of heat by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) that cause global warming.
Economic Impact
- The health effects of air pollution increase medical costs and reduce labor productivity.
- Economies suffer through infrastructure damage and reduced agricultural yields.
Global Variation
While air pollution is a global issue, its intensity varies. Since many developing countries have higher emission standards compared to developed ones some are subjected severe air quality challenges due rapid industrialization. For example, cities in India and China often experience very poor air quality conditions.
Global Initiatives
- Paris Agreement: This is an international treaty aimed at limiting global warming below 2°C meant for addressing climate change.
- BreatheLife: It’s a campaign led by WHO, Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) together with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The campaign targets to achieve a safe level of clean air worldwide by 2030.
Methodology for Ranking Polluted Cities
Typically, ranking most polluted cities requires systematic methodology assessing various indicators for measuring levels of pollution in the air. Such indicators include PM2.5&PM10s; Ozone; NO2; SO2; CO etc., which are key pollutants having serious health consequences.
Selection of Pollutants
- Ozone (O3): A gas that leads to respiratory problems and other health issues such as cancer.
- Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2): A gas causing respiratory problems, which contribute to ozone formation and particulate matter.
- Sulfur Dioxide (SO2): A gas causing respiratory problems, leading to both particulate matter and acid rain formation.
- Carbon Monoxide (CO): This is a gas causing severe health effects including death when present at high levels.
Data Collection
- Air Quality Monitoring Stations: Data from government as well as independent air quality monitoring stations is collected.
- Satellite Data: Ground level measurements are supplemented with data from satellites especially in areas where there is limited monitoring infrastructure.
- Public Health Records: Hospital admissions records together with other related illnesses on respiratory are studied.
- Meteorological Data: Weather patterns and natural occurrences that may affect air quality are taken into account.
Data Analysis
- Average Concentrations: The average concentration of each pollutant over a period is calculated.
- Air Quality Index (AQI): It determines AQI based on the concentration of pollutants and it provides a standardized measure for overall air quality.
- Comparative Analysis: AQI scores for cities as well as average concentrations that give an insight about major pollutants acts as reference points upon ranking them accordingly.
Conclusion
Addressing global pollution requires comprehensive, multifaceted strategies. Such measures should include actions by regulators to enforce more stringent emission standards, adopt clean technologies, increase green spaces within urban areas, and enhance public consciousness on this topic among others. In the same way, Air Pollution knows no boundaries; international cooperation is necessary since it does not discriminate against any country. Policy makers, scientists or members of the society need therefore to work together towards a mutual agreement that will have a lasting solution on clean air in future generations.
