- According to IQAir’s ‘World Air Quality Report 2023’, India would be the third-most polluted country in 2023, trailing only Bangladesh and Pakistan.
- IQAir is a Swiss air quality technology firm that specialises in protection against airborne contaminants, air quality monitoring, and air cleaning products.
Key Highlights
(A) Most Polluted Indian Cities:
- Ten of the world’s top 11 most polluted cities are in India, with the other being Lahore in Pakistan.
- Begusarai, in Bihar, saw a considerable increase in PM 2.5 concentrations from 19.7 micrograms per cubic metre in 2022 to 118.9 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023.
- Between 2022 and 2023, the concentration of PM2.5 in Guwahati doubled, rising from 51 to 105.4 micrograms per cubic metre.
- During the same time period, Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration rose from 89.1 to 92.7 micrograms per cubic metre.
- Other Indian towns in the top 50 most polluted cities of the world list included Greater Noida (11), Muzzafarnagar (16), Gurgaon (17), Arrah (18), Dadri (19), Patna (20), Faridabad (25), Noida (26), Meerut (28), Ghaziabad (35) and Rohtak (47).
(B) Global Insights:
- Oceania, which includes Australia, New Zealand, and French Polynesia, remained the region with the cleanest air in 2023.
- According to the survey, the top five most polluted countries in the world are Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Tajikistan, and Burkina Faso.
- Seven countries met the WHO annual PM2.5 standard (annual average of 5 µg/m3 or less): Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, and New Zealand.
- Despite prior drops, China’s PM2.5 concentration rose 6.3% in 2023, indicating a worrying trend.
- For the first time, Canada was named the most polluted country in North America, highlighting regional air quality concerns.
- Africa remains the most underrepresented continent, with one-third of the population still unable to acquire air quality data.
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