Pak ranked world’s third most polluted country

LAHORE (INP): Pakistan was the world’s third most polluted country after Bangladesh and Chad, said IQAir, a Swiss group that measures air quality levels based on the concentration of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5, said on Thursday. As per report, two major cities of Pakistan are included among 10 most polluted cities of the world.
South Asia is the most polluted region in the world with Bangladesh, India and Pakistan sharing 42 of the 50 most polluted cities worldwide, IQAir said in its 2020 World Air Quality Report, with data gathered from 106 countries. Karachi stands fourth among the most polluted cities of the world, said the report of IQAir “The most polluted countries in the region have numerous cities that average US AQI measurements of “Unhealthy” (> 55.5 ?g/m3) or worse,” the report said. “Bangladesh: 80% of cities; Pakistan: 67% of cities; India: 32% of cities.”
The report said key drivers of air pollution in Pakistan included urbanization, rapid economic development, and industrialization. “Major sources of Pakistan’s air pollution include road transport emissions (both vehicle exhausts and road dust), domestic biomass burning, and industrial activity,” IQAir said.