Dhaka’s air quality problems are a direct result of its haphazard planning and urbanization exacerbated by the sheer concentration of industrial zones and a multitude of other factors. Together, all these elements have long conspired towards making our capital city consistently rank in the top cities with the worst air qualities in the world, with the city frequently topping the list as well.
The city’s air pollution has slowly mutated into a veritable public health disaster over the decades, as the concentration of certain fine particulate matter, namely PM10 and PM2.5, is increasing in our air. Dhaka’s concentration of PM2.5 specifically is several orders of magnitude higher than the acceptable standard set by the World Health Organization - - long-term exposure to which can give way to health conditions such as heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, lower-respiratory infections, and even adverse birth outcomes in expectant mothers.
In Dhaka, or indeed wider Bangladesh, it is rare to see the air quality index rank below 200, but the issue is by far the most egregious in our urban centres. Given that Dhaka is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, that means over 20 million lives are being impacted as we speak by air pollution.
Something has to be done.
The environment advisor to the interim government recently announced that no government facility moving forward would be making use of the traditional red brick, the manufacturing process of which takes a severe toll on the air quality. Indeed, the number of brickfields with kilns bellowing poison into the air all but dot the outskirts of Dhaka, and is one of the biggest reasons why our air is as toxic as it is. This is a good first step, however, the brunt of construction work in our cities is privately carried out -- unless real estate companies and land owners are incentivized to adopt the use of eco-friendly green bricks, the impact would be limited.
There are far too many factors involved in the deterioration of our air, and much of them are known to the administration. Until and unless these factors are dealt with, citizens of Dhaka will forever be at the mercy of the very air entering their lungs.
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
