This Country Has the World's Worst Air Pollution

Air pollution is a concerning problem throughout the world. The effects of bad air can have deep consequences for the environment. For example, in Beijing, people wear masks when the air pollution gets bad. As countries start fighting against the effects of climate change, there are still nations that need to do more work. The countries with bad air pollution are scattered all over the world. The one with the worst air pollution in the world is Bangladesh. Let’s take a look at this country, which has the world’s worst air pollution. We’ll go over why they have bad air pollution, the effects of bad air in the country, and what Bangladesh is doing to fight the problem.

About Bangladesh

Located in South Asia, Bangladesh is the eighth most populated country in the world with 170 million people. Bangladesh used to be part of India as part of the British Raj but in 1947 when India became independent, there was a partition and it became part of Pakistan. Eventually, Bangladesh became independent in 1971. The country has the second-largest economy in South Asia. It also has the largest mangrove forest in the world, but the country has many problems that it has yet to combat, including political corruption, overpopulation, bad air pollution, and climate vulnerability.

World’s Worst Air Pollution

Bangladesh has the world’s worst air pollution because of various factors. The overpopulation that has been a problem in the country has resulted in an enormous amount of vehicles — cars, buses, trucks, motorcycles. The vehicles emit bad fumes into the air, which causes bad air. Industries are also to blame because there is a lot of burning of fossil fuels like coal, gas, and oil, which has adverse effects on the environment.

Effects of Bad Air

Bad air has effects on not just the environment but also people. It is reported that the bad air has shortened Bangladeshi people’s life expectancy by seven years. The bad air quality is several times more than what WHO states is good for humans. It does not help that their healthcare system is disastrously underfunded with only 5.3 doctors for every 10,000 people. Infant mortality is sky-high with 24 deaths per 1,000 live births and child mortality is also high. The leading causes of death in Bangladesh besides heart disease and strokes are respiratory diseases.

Combating Air Pollution

Bangladesh’s government knows that its air pollution is extremely bad. That’s why they were a founding member of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. For more than 10 years now, they have started turning around their air pollution with green technology. The government has a goal of ensuring that its future looks more green and more environmentally friendly than it has been historically.

Conclusion

And there you have it, Bangladesh has the world’s worst air pollution. The effects have been catastrophic. It doesn’t help that their health care system is also disastrous, which augments the deaths. Pollution is bad for the environment and affects people’s health greatly. Bangladesh’s government and the large businesses that exist there must combat bad air to ensure people’s health is better overall.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/EA