30-03-2024 | 13:04 PM
IQAir ( A Swiss-based air quality technology company) has released the 6th edition of the World Air Quality Report 2023.
Key Highlights
(i) A total of 124 (92.5%) out of 134 countries and regions exceeded the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline value of 5 µg/m3.
(ii) Top 5 Polluted Countries: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Tajikistan and Burkina Faso
(iii) According to the report, Canada was the most polluted country in Northern America.
(iv) Status of India: India was declared as the 3rd most polluted country in 2023, after Bangladesh and Pakistan.
(v) PM2.5 concentration in India: 54.4 µg/m3.
(vi) Most Polluted Cities: In the top 50 most polluted cities in the world, 42 cities were in India.
(vii) Begusarai (Bihar): the most polluted metropolitan area of 2023, followed by Guwahati and then Delhi.
(viii) Delhi: Delhi has become the world’s most polluted capital city and saw an increase in PM2.5 concentration from 89.1 to 92.7 µg/m3 between 2022 – 23.
(ix) Least Polluted Cities of India: Silchar in Assam (7th), Aizawl in Mizoram (8th) and Damoh in Madhya Pradesh (15th) were the least polluted cities in the central and south Asia region.
(x) Countries Meeting WHO standards: Seven countries that met the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline (annual average of 5 µg/m 3 or less) included Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, and New Zealand
