Dhaka's air quality 'moderate' as city ranks among world's most polluted
Dhaka's air quality was classified as 'moderate' over the weekend, with reports placing the Bangladeshi capital among the world's most polluted cities, though the exact ranking and AQI score varied between reports.
United News of Bangladesh reported that Dhaka ranked 18th among the world's cities with the worst air quality on Sunday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 84 at 11:12 am. A separate report from the same news agency, covering Monday morning, also ranked the city 18th, with an AQI score of 87. Bangladesh Post, meanwhile, reported that Dhaka ranked 27th among the world's most polluted cities on Sunday morning, with an AQI score of 68 at 9:30 am.
According to the AQI scale, an AQI reading between 50 and 100 is considered 'moderate', with air quality described as acceptable. This classification was consistent across all reports, despite the differing scores and rankings.
The top of the global pollution list also differed between reports. Bangladesh Post reported that Kampala of Uganda topped the list with an AQI of 194, followed by Dubai in the United Arab Emirates with 184 and Jakarta in Indonesia with 164. United News of Bangladesh, in its Sunday report, said DR Congo's Kinshasa topped the list with an AQI of 211, followed by Kuching in Malaysia with 191 and Kampala in Uganda with 185. In its Monday report, the agency listed Malaysia's Kuching as the most polluted city with an AQI of 194, followed by Pakistan's Lahore with 170 and Indonesia's Jakarta with 167. That report also noted that Kampala, capital of Uganda, was among the cities with the highest pollution levels.
The AQI is a daily indicator of air quality, showing how clean or polluted the air is and the potential health effects people may experience. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone.
According to the AQI scale, a reading between 101 and 150 is considered 'unhealthy for sensitive groups', while 151 to 200 is classified as 'unhealthy'. A reading between 201 and 300 is considered 'very unhealthy', and anything above 301 is categorized as 'hazardous', posing serious health risks.
Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, with air quality typically worsening during the winter months and improving during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes around seven million deaths globally each year, mainly from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.