Bahrain among nations with ‘worst air quality’

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

Bahrain is among the 10 nations having the worst air quality, a key study has found. Conducted by Swiss firm IQAir, the 2021 World Air Quality Report is based on measurements of particulate matter obtained by ground-level monitoring stations worldwide.

PM2.5, the size studied, consists of fine aerosol particles measuring 2.5 microns or smaller in diameter and is thought to be the most harmful to health of the air pollutants monitored by international bodies.

PM2.5 concentration in Manama yesterday was 20.2 times above the WHO annual air quality guideline value.

Bahrain came in at eighth, with 49.8 10 µg/m³. Bangladesh was rated the worst at 76.9 µg/m³, followed by Chad, Pakistan, Tajikistan and India.

The readings for Bahrain were higher than in 2020. A score over 50 means the level of PM.25 exceeds the World Health Organisation guidelines by at least 10 times. In September, the WHO updated the guidelines for the first time in 15 years to push countries to do more to combat the problem.

The researchers behind the report used the new guidelines to return its results. To meet WHO guidelines, the annual reading should be less than 5 µg/m³. Only three nations currently meet that, according to the IQAir study: Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and New Caledonia.

The UN body says about 80 per cent of deaths related to PM2.5 could be avoided if air pollution was brought to within the new guidelines. “Clean air should be a fundamental human right and a necessary condition for healthy and productive societies.

However, despite some improvements in air quality over the past three decades, millions of people continue to die prematurely, often affecting the most vulnerable and marginalised populations,” the WHO regional director for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge, said.

“We know the magnitude of the problem and we know how to solve it. These updated guidelines give policymakers solid evidence and the necessary tool to tackle this long-term health burden.”

Bad air quality kills more than million people a year worldwide, and can aggravate symptoms of Covid-19. Last year, a direct link was found between poor air quality and the deaths of 40,000 children.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia came 15th and 21st in the report, respectively. The report is based on PM2.5 air quality data from 6,475 cities in 117 countries, regions and territories around the world. The readings in the Gulf are linked to “fossil fuel-based energy production, emissions from industrial processes, waste burning, construction, and motor vehicles,” the report said.

But sandstorms also play a part, the report said. Its cited research that showed a dust plume created in June 2021 by strong winds carried dust from the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley to the western coast of the Arabian Gulf. The Supreme Council for Environment has released a new app that shows air quality across Bahrain.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) app will show live readings from stations monitoring pollution across the Kingdom. These stations have been built in Sitra and Awali. There is already a station at the US Embassy in Manama.

Available from both Apple App store and Google Play, the app will also give you information about what action you can take as a precaution when the pollution is at a hazardous or unhealthy level. The government is in the process of implementing strategies and measures to curb increasing air pollution. The roadmap for better air quality has been drawn up by the Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), encompassing short, medium and long-term solutions.