It was a great concern that Bangladesh was ranked the number second among the countries with the most air pollution in the world in 2024.
Chad, a country in north-central Africa, was placed the number one in the world. Bangladesh was also in the first place in Asia.
This air pollution list was published in the World Air Quality Report 2024 by Switzerland-based air quality monitoring company IQAir.
We take oxygen from the air through breathing and it is not possible to live without this oxygen.
But with the current state of air pollution in Bangladesh, we are constantly taking in a lot of poisons or deadly substances along with our breath.
Thus, air quality must have to be improved at any cost. And to improve air quality, we must focus on reducing pollution sources, promoting sustainable transportation, and encouraging public awareness.
Specifically, prioritize clean energy, enforce environmental regulations, and invest in green spaces.
According to the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO), the annual average of very fine particulate matter in the air should be 5 micrograms per cubic meter or less.
But the amount of mercury in Bangladesh’s air last year was 78 micrograms per cubic meter, which is about 15 times higher than the prescribed annual standard.
So breathing polluted air is mainly affecting people’s lungs, and respiratory diseases are on the rise.
Air pollution is the cause of many other diseases, including cancer and heart diseases.
Every year, millions of people die from various diseases caused by air pollution.
Many people are getting sick and slowly moving towards death. Many people are losing their ability to work.
Despite the miserable condition of air pollution in Bangladesh for a long time, there is little effort to prevent air pollution. The causes or sources of air pollution are not unknown to us.
One of the main causes of air pollution in Bangladesh is traditional brick kilns and defective vehicles.
38 percent of the black smoke responsible for air pollution is emitted from brick kilns. And 19 percent is emitted from vehicles.
Even if these two sources of pollution can be controlled, the air quality will improve significantly.
We hope that steps will be taken to improve air quality very soon to protect the lives of the people of the country.
