Staff Reporter :
Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, ranked first on the global air pollution index on Friday, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 230 at 9am. The city’s air quality was classified as “very unhealthy,” posing a serious health threat to its residents.
Friday’s score places Dhaka firmly in the “very unhealthy” category. Comparatively, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Delhi in India, and Phnom Penh in Cambodia held the second, third, and fourth spots on the list with AQI scores of 220, 198, and 187, respectively.
The AQI measures air pollution based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. PM2.5, tiny particles that penetrate deep into the lungs, poses the greatest risk to human health.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that air pollution is responsible for an estimated seven million deaths globally every year. It significantly increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
Air quality in Dhaka typically worsens during winter due to increased construction activities, industrial emissions, and reduced rainfall. However, conditions improve during the monsoon season when rainfall helps to clear pollutants from the air.
Efforts to combat air pollution in Dhaka remain inadequate despite its alarming health and environmental consequences.
Environmental experts have called for urgent action, including stricter regulation of industrial emissions, control of vehicular pollution, and enhanced urban planning to address this ongoing crisis.
