Dhaka’s Air to Be Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

The Air Quality Index (AQI) placed Dhaka's air this morning (August 14, 2023) as the fifth most polluted city in the world.

At 8:30 am, Dhaka's air quality was rated as "unhealthy for sensitive groups," with an AQI score of 136.

The top four cities on the list were Jakarta, Kuwait City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Kampala, Uganda, with AQI ratings of 162, 159, 157, and 152, respectively.

Air quality is deemed "unhealthy for sensitive groups" when the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, "unhealthy" when it is between 150 and 200, "very unhealthy" when it is between 201 and 300, and "hazardous" when it is at or above 301, posing significant health risks to locals.

The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five criterion pollutants: ozone, NO2, CO, SO2, and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5).

Air pollution has always been a problem in Dhaka. Winter is often when the air quality deteriorates, and monsoon season is when it gets better.

One of the leading causes of mortality and disability globally continues to be air pollution.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes the deaths of an estimated seven million people annually, mostly because it increases mortality from conditions including heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and acute respiratory infections.