Urban air pollution is on the rise, and over 80 percent of city dwellers breathe poor quality air, the WHO has said in a new report. The situation is far worse in poorer regions of the world, including India and Iran.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Swarup
Advertisement
Outdoor air pollution causes over 3 million premature deaths per year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report released on Thursday.
The citizens of low and middle-income countries are at particular risk as some 98 percent of their cities have air quality below UN standards.
"Air pollution is a major cause of disease and death," said WHO Assistant Director-General Dr. Flavia Bustreo, who is in charge of matters concerning family, women and children's health. "When dirty air blankets our cities the most vulnerable urban populations - the youngest, oldest and poorest - are the most impacted."
Poor quality air raises the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma, according to the WHO.
India fighting back
The new report uses data from 795 of world's cities in 67 countries, gathered between 2008 and 2013. The data shows that the pollution levels rose for 8 percent globally, although many rich countries have managed to improve their urban air quality during this period.
Even in rich countries, however, 56 percent of cities are over the established cleanliness standards.
According to the WHO data, the dirtiest air was recorded in the Iranian city of Zabol, which is often hit by dust storms during the summer. The next four cities were all in India: Gwalior, Allahabad, Patna and Raipur.
India to tax car sales to reduce air pollution
01:10
This browser does not support the video element.
India's capital, New Delhi, was ranked ninth overall and the most polluted among selected mega-cities with population exceeding 14 million people. Egypt's Cairo placed second in this category, ahead of Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka.
At the same time, WHO praised India's government for creating a national plan to deal with the pollution problem, unlike many other countries.
'Unfair' to give rank
Lack of data meant that many mega-cities in Africa were not included in the WHO list.
"Probably some of the worst cities that are the most polluted ones in the world are not included in our list, just because they are so bad that they do not even have a good system of monitoring of air quality, so it's unfair to compare or give a rank," said Maria Neira, head of public health at the WHO.
While the pollution is still "wreaking havoc" on human health, more cities are starting to monitor their air quality, according to Neira.
Cities can get cleaner air by reducing the number of cars, improving energy efficiency when it comes to heating and cooling buildings, and better waste management, as many developing countries pollute the air by burning garbage, according to the WHO.
The big smog: Cities plagued by air pollution
Smog hangs over Ulan Bator - like every winter. This air pollution and intense cold is damaging the lungs of 19-year-old Tsegi. But it’s not only Mongolia’s capital: Here's a look at some of the worst cities for bad air.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Ulan Bator, Mongolia
Ulan Bator is not only one of the coldest capitals on earth, it's also a city with massive air pollution. During the winter months, yurts like Tsegi’s are heated with coal and wood which contributes up to 70 percent of the smog in the city. Air pollution in Ulan Bator is seven times higher than what is considered safe by the WHO.
Image: DW/Robert Richter
Beijing, China
The Chinese capital has been suffering from smog so heavy that scientists say the city is almost uninhabitable - although it is home to 20 million people. Models suggest that 3.5 million people die globally every year because of air pollution - almost half of them in China. Having said this, it might be a surprise to learn that smog is an even bigger problem in other cities across the world.
Image: picture alliance/Photoshot
Lahore, Pakistan
Air pollution is one of Pakistan's main environmental concerns. The situation is particularly dramatic in the country's second largest city, Lahore. The smog is caused primarily by the high volume of road traffic, rubbish incineration and dust from the surrounding deserts.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
New Delhi, India
In the nearly 10 million-strong city of New Delhi, the number of cars has increased from 180,000 to 3.5 million in the last 30 years. Still, it's the city's coal powered plants that are causing the biggest problem. They contribute to around 80 percent of the total air pollution in the city.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Sandstorms, like here in Riyadh, can contribute to smog forming because they increase the amount of particles in the air. In a place like Saudi Arabia, the intense ultra-violet rays also transform transport and industry emissions into ozone.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Cairo, Egypt
The poor air quality in Cairo causes a number illnesses among city residents, like chronic respiratory problems and lung cancer. The reason for the air pollution is an increase in road traffic and the booming industrial sector.
Image: DW Akademie/J. Rahe
Dhaka, Bangladesh
According to a study by the Max-Planck Institute in Mainz, some 15,000 people die every year in Dhaka due to air pollution. Researchers found the world's highest concentration of sulfur dioxide there.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Moscow, Russia
Even if it looks the same the world over, smog is different, depending on the city. Smog in Moscow, for instance, is characterized by high amounts of hydrocarbons. The westerly winds which regularly plow across Moscow mean that the western part of the city generally has better air quality.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Mexico City, Mexico
The smog in Mexico City is made worse by the geographical location. The city is surrounded on three sides by mountains. Due to the high levels of sulfur dioxide and hydrocarbons in the air, Mexico City was long considered one of the most polluted cities in the world. The situation is now improving due to new transport policies and certain factories being shut down.
