Air pollution is not simply an environmental concern—it has grow to be a significant public well being disaster affecting tens of millions throughout Africa.
Speedy urbanisation, industrial progress, and poor waste management have led to dangerously excessive ranges of air, water, and land air pollution, placing numerous lives in danger.
Air air pollution, specifically, is an escalating drawback in lots of African cities like Accra, with thick smog choking the streets and poisonous waste seeping into water sources.
The well being implications are extreme. Extended publicity to polluted air has been linked to respiratory ailments equivalent to bronchial asthma, bronchitis, and lung infections, whereas growing the danger of coronary heart illness, stroke, and most cancers.
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Essentially the most susceptible—youngsters and the aged—bear the brunt of those hazardous situations.
However which cities are the worst affected?
A current report by Numbeo ranks the ten most polluted cities in Africa based mostly on its Air pollution Index, which measures total air pollution ranges worldwide.
The index takes into consideration air and water air pollution, waste administration, cleanliness, noise and light pollution, inexperienced areas, and total dwelling situations.
Numbeo assigns the best weight to air pollution, adopted by water air pollution and accessibility, that are thought-about the 2 main air pollution components.
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Whereas Accra seems on the record, it’s not essentially the most polluted metropolis. So which metropolis claims the unlucky high spot? Right here’s the complete rating.
10 most polluted cities in Africa
Metropolis |
Air pollution Index |
1. Cairo, Egypt |
91.0 |
2. Accra, Ghana |
89.2 |
3. Lagos, Nigeria |
88.5 |
4. Marrakech, Morocco |
84.1 |
5. Casablanca, Morocco |
82.1 |
6. Harare, Zimbabwe |
82.1 |
7. Nairobi, Kenya |
79.8 |
8. Tunis, Tunisia |
75.1 |
9. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
74.6 |
10. Alexandria, Egypt |
73.5 |