Bangladesh ranks 2nd in air pollution, Dhaka 3rd most polluted city

Bangladesh ranked second among countries with the worst air pollution in 2024, while Dhaka was the third most polluted city in the world. In 2023, Bangladesh topped the list, with Dhaka ranked as the second most polluted city.

Last year, Chad in Africa held the top position for air pollution, while New Delhi, the capital of India, was the most polluted city. This data was published in the Global Air Quality Report 2024 by the Switzerland-based organisation IQAir on Tuesday.

Overall, Bangladesh’s air pollution ranking showed a slight improvement compared to the previous year, moving from first to second place. Similarly, Dhaka’s ranking shifted from second to third.

However, environmentalists and researchers do not consider this change significant. They argue that pollution is becoming more widespread, and the report highlights this concerning reality.

Previously, the overall air quality of the country was slightly better than that of the capital. However, this report shows that Bangladesh’s national air quality and that of its most polluted city, Dhaka, are now nearly the same.

Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan told Prothom Alo on Tuesday, “It is unrealistic to expect significant improvements in air quality within just six months. However, we have taken several measures that give us hope for a better air quality in Dhaka and other parts of the country in the upcoming dry season.”

She mentioned that open spaces along Dhaka’s roads would be covered with grass to reduce dust pollution. Additionally, while six magistrates alone cannot monitor all 6,500 brick kilns across the country, efforts will be made to enhance surveillance.

IQAir provides an instant air quality index, informing and warning people about air pollution levels in specific cities. The platform updates pollution data daily at a fixed time, and these updates are compiled into an annual global report.

This year, the IQAir report is based on data from approximately 40,000 monitoring stations in 8,954 cities across 138 countries and regions. Last year’s report covered 134 countries, making this year’s edition even more comprehensive.

As in previous years, the report measures air quality based on PM 2.5, or fine particulate matter, one of the primary components of air pollution. PM 2.5 consists of microscopic dust particles that pose severe health risks, as they can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) standards, the average annual PM 2.5 level should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter.

The report shows that in 2024, the presence of very small particles (PM 2.5) per cubic meter of air in Bangladesh was 78 micrograms. And in 2023, it was 79.9 micrograms. This is at least 15 times higher than the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

This year’s report shows that Chad is at the top of the air pollution list. The presence of PM 2.5 in the country’s air is 91.8 micrograms.

This year’s report says that although the level of pollution is severe in many regions and countries of the world, the pollution situation in those areas cannot be taken into account due to lack of adequate monitoring. Among them are some countries in Africa and West Africa.

Due to the lack of necessary information from Chad, which is at the top of the pollution list, the name of this country was not included in the 2023 report.

The name of Burkina Faso, an African country affected by severe pollution, is not included in this report. This is because the necessary information was not available. Burkina Faso was ranked fifth in the 2023 report.

This time, Pakistan is after Bangladesh in terms of air pollution. The Democratic Republic of Congo and India are in fourth and fifth place respectively.

However, the air quality of the following countries is relatively better than the first three countries on the pollution list. The air quality of the countries in the first to third places in terms of pollution is 70 or more. But the air quality of the Democratic Republic of Congo and India in the fourth and fifth places is 58.2 and 50.6, respectively.

The research institute Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS) conducts round-the-clock research on the air pollution situation in various cities of the country.

CAPS chairman professor Ahmed Kamruzzaman Majumder told Prothom Alo about this report on Tuesday, “Being in the second top spot in air pollution is not good news for us at all. We could not improve much in 2024 compared to the previous year. But we saw that January and February of this year were more polluted than the previous 9 years. This year, air pollution is increasing further.”

According to the IQAir report, Dhaka is ranked third in terms of pollution as a city. The presence of PM 2.5 in the air of this city was 78 micrograms. In 2023, its amount was 80.2 micrograms.

The presence of PM 2.5 in the air of New Delhi, which is at the top of the list, is 91.8. In 2023, it was 92.7 micrograms. That is, the air quality of this most polluted city has improved somewhat.

This time, the air quality of Dhaka and Bangladesh as a whole is 78. Experts say that this proves that pollution is spreading.

Director of the Department of Environment (Air Quality Management) Md. Ziaul Haque told Prothom Alo, “We are trying to prevent pollution, but some sources cannot be controlled. Such as transboundary air flows. Again, issues like pollution from brick kilns and burning leaves during the dry season cannot be controlled.”

Air pollution is a major threat to human health. According to WHO data, it is the second leading cause of death globally and the second leading cause of death among children under the age of five. Bangladesh is also experiencing severe consequences due to pollute on.

Data from the World Bank shows that in 2019, more than 272,000 people in Bangladesh died prematurely due to four types of environmental pollution, including air pollution. Among these deaths, 55 per cent were attributed to air pollution. Additionally, pollution led to an economic loss equivalent to 17.6 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) that year.

Public health expert Mushtaq Hossain pointed out that the government has yet to recognize air pollution as a major public health crisis. “Without that realization, meaningful improvements are not possible,” he said. Air pollution not only poses serious health risks but also damages the country’s global reputation, according to Abdus Salam, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Dhaka University. Speaking to Prothom Alo yesterday, he said, “Pollution impacts sectors such as investment and tourism. The government’s efforts to combat pollution have been ineffective. To improve the situation, proper planning and effective initiatives are essential.”