Bangladesh and Chad are ranked as the most polluted countries in 2024, with air quality significantly below WHO guidelines. Only seven nations met these standards last year. The closure of the US air quality monitoring program will hinder pollution tracking and efforts, particularly affecting developing countries. Climate change further worsens the situation, complicating the fight against pollution.
In 2024, Bangladesh has been identified as the world’s most polluted country, with air quality exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines by more than 15 times, as reported by the Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir. This unsettling distinction is shared with Chad. Alarmingly, India, Pakistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo also reported high levels of air pollution, according to Reuters.
Only seven nations achieved compliance with WHO air quality standards in the previous year, which included Australia, New Zealand, and several Caribbean nations. With the end of the United States’ global air quality monitoring program, researchers express concerns that combating pollution will become increasingly difficult. The cessation, attributed to budget constraints, has led to the removal of over 17 years of air quality data from the official government monitoring site, airnow.gov.
Christi Chester-Schroeder, IQAir’s air quality science manager, emphasized the implications of this data gap, particularly for African countries that often relied on the US Embassy’s monitoring data. Chad’s absence from IQAir’s 2023 list underscores the challenges it faces, exacerbated by issues like Sahara dust and uncontrolled agricultural burning, which contributed to average PM2.5 concentrations of 91.8 micrograms per cubic meter last year, significantly above the WHO standard of 5 mg/cu m.
India ranked fifth in terms of pollution, with a PM2.5 average of 50.6 mg/cu m. This country accounts for twelve of the top twenty most polluted cities worldwide, with Byrnihat recording an average PM2.5 level of 128 mg/cu m. Climate change has intensified pollution levels, driving increased temperatures and prolonged wildfire seasons across various regions, according to Chester-Schroeder.
Christa Hasenkopf, director of the Clean Air Program at the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, highlighted that reliable pollution data access will diminish for at least 34 countries following the closure of the US monitoring program. She noted that this initiative significantly improved air quality in monitored cities, enhancing life expectancy and reducing diplomatic hazard allowances, ultimately proving economically beneficial.
Remarkably, the end of this program presents a severe setback for global air quality improvement efforts, as emphasized by Hasenkopf.
In conclusion, Bangladesh and Chad have been designated as the most polluted countries in 2024, with alarming air quality levels significantly exceeding WHO guidelines. The cessation of the United States’ air quality monitoring program adds further complications for global pollution management, especially in developing nations reliant on this data. Climate change continues to exacerbate these challenges, making the pursuit of cleaner air increasingly urgent.
Original Source: bdnews24.com
