With accelerating rates of urbanization and increased densities of metropolitan areas, it is more important than ever to keep global air pollution levels in check. Cities occupy just 2% of the world’s land area, yet they account for more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions on the globe, while using 78 percent of the world’s electricity. City air pollution is assessed by a variety of factors such as air quality, the state of water in our bodies, access to clean drinking water, trash management, the cleanliness of public places, and the existence of inexperienced areas. Components such as public security, as well as light and noise pollution at night, will also be investigated. According to the discussed criteria, the following cities will be the 10 most polluted cities in the world in 2022.
Kathmandu, Nepal is ten.
Polluted cities in Kathmandu: The world’s most polluted towns
The capital city’s haphazard expansion as a result of poor planning makes Kathmandu one of the world’s most polluted cities in 2021. The Bagmati River in Kathmandu is very polluted as a result of insufficient wastewater treatment facilities and poor levels of trash disposal awareness among the general public. In addition to noise pollution, construction operations and automotive exhaust emissions contribute to air pollution.
Polluted cities in Kathmandu: The world’s most polluted towns
Deteriorating air quality levels are also caused by winter inversion, wildfires, and cross-border industrial air pollution. Smoky fires used in rural areas contribute to high levels of air pollution. As a result, humans have developed powerful illnesses such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, and lung disease.
Tetovo, North Macedonia 9th.
Tetovo filthy towns: The world’s most polluted cities
Tetovo, Europe’s most polluted city, is located in the northwest corner of North Macedonia, on the foothills of the Ar mountains. The community is mostly reliant on the severely polluting lignite coal-powered industry for residential heating. Vehicle emissions from old obsolete autos are another major source of air pollution. Improper waste disposal and the release of hazardous gases from industry contribute to the toxicity of the air.
According to 2018 figures, air pollution is responsible for 38 percent of all fatalities in Tetovo. Unlawful logging in nearby mountain forests diminishes the inexperienced cover, which in turn damages the environment further more. Drinkable water may be scarce in Tetovo as a consequence of industrial waste being poured into the town’s waterways on a regular basis.
Faridabad, India is number eight.
Polluted cities in Faridabad: The world’s most polluted towns
Faridabad, in Haryana, is the satellite tv for pc city of India’s capital, New Delhi. As a major industrial center, it has seen uncoordinated city expansion, with several building sites and street rehabilitation projects. This emits a massive amount of micropollutants into the atmosphere, as well as harmful heavy metals.
Furthermore, the open burning of mixed waste comprising artificial materials such as plastic and rubber mixed with wood and dry leaves results in high levels of carbon emissions in the city. The use of old autos in the city has also led to high levels of pollution in the air. Faridabad has air pollution levels that are 25 times higher than the safe limit.
Kabul, Afghanistan is number seven.
Polluted cities in Kabul: The world’s most polluted towns
Around 3000 people die each year as a result of respiratory illnesses caused by dirty air in Kabul, one of the world’s most polluted capital cities. The use of low-quality gas, raw coal, and even plastic materials and automobile tires all add significantly to the harmful levels of air pollution.
Furthermore, the lack of forestland has resulted in a situation in which there is no carbon sink inside the city to soak up the frightening amount of carbon emissions. Irregular groundwater use, a lack of proper infrastructure, and limited rainfall have resulted in a scenario in which 80 percent of ingesting water is contaminated, causing food poisoning and other illnesses.
Accra, Ghana is number six.
Accra’s dirtiest cities: The world’s most polluted cities
Ailments such as bronchial asthma and cardiovascular disease are fairly widespread in Accra, Ghana’s capital city. Toxic gases from automobiles, open rubbish burning, and poor kitchen heating methods are the primary drivers of inconceivable levels of air pollution. Air pollution levels vary with the seasons and are particularly high during the dry season due to increasing desert dirt.
Accra became the first African capital city to join the City Wellbeing Initiative’s ‘BreatheLife movement’ in 2018. Many community activities have been undertaken since then, but there is still a long way to go in the goal of completely clean air.
Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar filthy cities: The world’s most polluted cities
Ulaanbaatar has a dense, sooty atmosphere caused by the extensive use of coal for domestic purposes. Other factors that contribute to the prevalence of diseases such as pneumonia in the city include industrial pollutants and road traffic pollution. Many people in this very polluted city are unaware to the fact that healthy lungs may exist.
In schools, air purifiers are used in every classroom room to ensure that children grow in a healthy environment. Due to a lack of electrical energy and major infrastructure, the community was forced to thrive in this condition of noxiousness, both socially and ecologically.
Beirut, Lebanon is number four.
Polluted cities in Beirut: The world’s most polluted towns
Because of the existence of several businesses like as cement, food processing, mineral manufacture, oil refineries, and so on, the city of Beirut suffers from high levels of air pollution. Irresponsible rubbish dumping has been seen in the seaside tourist center. Because of the fuels used in heating, the winter months have the highest levels of air pollution.
Polluted cities in Beirut: The world’s most polluted towns
On August 4, 2020, almost 3000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate detonated in Beirut’s port, unleashing hazardous chemicals such as nitrogen oxides and ammonia into the atmosphere. The town’s waterways are said to have been damaged by sewage and medical waste from the COVID-19 epidemic. A large number of dead fish washed up on the Litany River coast in Beirut as a result of high toxicity levels in the water.
Ghaziabad, India is number three.
Polluted cities in Ghaziabad: The world’s most polluted towns
Excessive air pollution levels in Ghaziabad are mostly the result of traffic congestion and crop burning activities. In the winter of 2021, slow winds combined with haze caused pollutants to settle heavily inside the air without dispersing. The absorption of heavy metals in the city’s peri-urban and urban-industrial clusters has resulted in poor groundwater quality.
There have even been nauseating circumstances in which available water has been mixed with sewage water, causing many people to get ill. Poor high-quality development has caused the collapse of many residential and industrial structures, and according to an audit, 102 buildings are considered to be in risk, for which appropriate retrofitting has been useful.
Noida, India is number two.
Noida polluted cities: The world’s most polluted cities
Noida is India’s most polluted and dangerous city. In Noida, there might be a muck cloud that lasts forever. Such severe conditions have resulted from a lack of clean public places and a failure to follow dust-control requirements at development projects.
Because of its closeness to New Delhi, fixed migration to Noida from surrounding cities, cities, and villages has resulted in a rapid expansion of population that has not been balanced by adequate infrastructure. This has resulted in sprawl, unhealthy settlements, and negligent maintenance of the city fabric by local governments as well as the federal government.
Dhaka, Bangladesh is number one.
Polluted cities in Dhaka: The world’s most polluted towns
As one of the most densely inhabited cities on the globe, as well as one of the world’s least developed countries, Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital city, is presented with a challenging situation to deal with. Almost majority of Dhaka’s air pollution is caused by brick kilns, which utilize coal and wood as their primary energy sources. The federal government has discussed on phasing out the use of all brick kilns by 2025.
Polluted cities in Dhaka: The world’s most polluted towns
Polluted cities in Dhaka: The world’s most polluted towns
Another source of particularly hazardous fumes is the combustion of rubber tires. Vehicle and industrial pollution are also major factors to harmful living conditions in Dhaka. The flow of industrial garbage and sewage into the rivers around Dhaka Metropolis has resulted in very unsanitary conditions across the water our bodies.
Polluted cities may be transformed into breathable and attractive urban places simply by changing public laws, implementing nature-friendly city planning, and implementing flexible city design. Increasing public awareness of ecologically friendly methods is another significant step that may make or break the situation, especially in developing nations.
Eventually, urbanization does not have to be associated with air pollution, disease, and bad living conditions. According to research, by 2050, 70 percent of the world’s population would have relocated to cities. People will always migrate to cities, thus it’s time to transform the occurrence of filthy cities into something that revitalizes the ecological as well as socio-economic strata of town.
