Dhaka, the overcrowded capital of Bangladesh, ranked 47th among cities with the worst air quality on Monday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 63 at 9:20am.

According to the AQI index, Dhaka’s air was classified as “moderate,” indicating a light health risk, particularly for sensitive individuals. The city has been experiencing this level of air quality for several consecutive days.

An AQI score between 50 and 100 is considered “moderate,” while scores above that range are categorized as increasingly unhealthy. Levels between 101 and 150 are “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” 151 to 200 is “unhealthy,” 201 to 300 is “very unhealthy,” and 301+ is deemed “hazardous.”

On the global list, Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Toronto, and Montreal took the top three spots with AQI scores of 179, 157, and 151 respectively.

The AQI measures the concentration of five major pollutants: PM10, PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3).

Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, particularly in winter, when the situation tends to worsen. Conditions usually improve during the monsoon season.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes an estimated seven million deaths annually, linked to diseases such as stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.

MN/