The dirtiest countries in the world
Imagine mountains of trash in the street, polluted water, toxic air, pests, and disease, although it seems like an apocalyptic scene, it is unfortunately a reality. Many of these problems are the result of human activity, and while no country is immune to such hardships, many are mired in an environmental crisis. So, here are the 10 dirtiest countries, which, while chosen primarily because of air pollution, are not the only factors on this “dirty” list.
“PM 2.5 particles contain organic substances such as dust, soot, metals and chemicals that are measured in parts per million. ”
“10. Nigeria “
Combined with poor air quality, waste in this country is often dumped on the streets or in unregulated landfills. According to the World Bank’s 2015 Little Green Data Book, 94% of the population is exposed to pollution levels in excess of World Health Organization -WHO- parameters. Some landfills in this country can reach 2,400 metric tons of trash.
“9. United Arab Emirates “
Oil and gas extraction has contributed to air pollution, waste dumps have also increased, and there are no standards governing this situation. Faced with this, the country’s Arab theocracy has proposed the creation of a completely clean city, that is, one free of coal. The hypothetical city would be called Masdar, “The Fountain,” and is being designed by British architect Norman Foster.
“8. Nepal “
Filth in this country is caused by air pollution, oil extraction, and insufficient sanitary measures for food production and garbage collection.
In 2015, the city of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, experienced a massive earthquake that severely affected the city’s infrastructure; The reconstruction work resulted in a perfect “cocktail” of pollutants.
“7. Kuwait “
The oil industry and its consumption caused water pollution, the death of various species, and high CO emissions. Around 1991, an event occurred that is still being discussed to contextualize the damage caused by the pollution. The city was covered by an ochre cloud for an entire day, which reduced visibility to less than 500 meters and caused the temperature to drop by 15°C.
“6. Mongolia “
The use of coal in daily life has contributed to the deterioration of air quality, causing thousands of people to die of respiratory diseases each year. According to the latest data, the average temperature in Mongolia has risen to 2.2°C. In Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, on some “bad days,” the 2.5-meter meter recorded a terrifying 999, the highest number the device can record.
“5. Bahrain “
The country’s most popular industries, gas and oil, have increased air and water pollution, in addition, this country has abandoned the maintenance of green spaces and waste management. According to a study by George Washington University, the incidence of childhood asthma is closely linked to pollution; in Bahrain, the incidence among minors is 26%.
“4. aganistan.
It is common here to dump domestic, industrial and medical waste into the streets or open sewers, thereby polluting the Kabul River, the main source of drinking water. According to the country’s Ministry of Health, an average of three thousand deaths a year can be attributed to high levels of contamination; the diseases associated with this phenomenon are mostly respiratory
and cardiovascular.
3.Egypt
Another of the most polluted countries is Egypt. Africa, along with Central and Southeast Asia, is the world’s pollution hotspot. As with countries such as India and Saudi Arabia, the rapid process of industrialization has resulted in many start-ups emitting huge amounts of gases and cement waste into the atmosphere.
In Cairo, the country’s capital, the pollution level is 74 µg/m3 , which is 20 times the permitted level.
2.Brazil, another of the major most polluted countries
Like other developing countries, Brazil is at the peak of its economic development. Unfortunately, low public awareness and lack of action by the government and other authorities in the country have led to an exponential increase in emotions from the gases .
Added to all this is the massive deforestation that affects one of the planet’s main green lungs, the Amazon.
The most polluted countries in the world are Brazil, another of the largest polluted countries
1.Russia
Rounding out this list of the most polluted countries is Russia. One of the key points of its high percentage of pollution is the large amount of nuclear and industrial waste that exists in the territory. The city of Karabash is one of the five most contaminated cities in the world.
As if that were not enough, the country has a low percentage of drinking water. All these factors have caused serious consequences for the health of its residents. And although over the past ten years measures have been approved to reduce emissions and waste discharges, there is still a long way to go before we abandon the top positions among the most polluted countries in the world.