WHO Declares Onitsha World’s Most Polluted City

Onitsha in Anambra State has been declared world`s most polluted city by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

WHO mentioned three other Nigerian cities namely; Kaduna, Aba, and Umuahia in its list of “The 20 Worst Cities Worldwide For Air Pollution”.

The organisation has warned that “Over 80 percent of people in urban areas around the world are exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution with risk greater in lower and middle-income countries.

It said: “Air pollution is the greatest environmental risk to health with three million people dying prematurely every year.

The WHO study revealed that “highest levels of small and fine particulate pollution (PM10 and PM2.5) were recorded in South-East Asia and the Mediterranean.

The Organisation noted that Onitsha, which has the highest levels of PM10 worldwide, is followed closely by Peshawar in Pakistan and Zabol in Iran.

The report indicated that the PM10 recorded in Onitsha is nearly 30 times the recommended level.

FULL LIST
1. Onitsha, Nigeria
2. Peshawar, Pakistan
3. Zabol, Iran
4. Rawalpindi, Pakistan
5. Kaduna, Nigeria
6. Aba, Nigeria
7. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
8. Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia
9. Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan
10. Gwailor, India 11. Hamad town, Bahrain
12. Allahabad, India
13. Shijiazhuang, China
14. Karachi, Pakistan
15. Dammam, Saudi Arabia
16. Umuahia, Nigeira
17. Raipur, India 18. Kabul, Afghanistan
19. Ma’ameer, Bahrain.
20. Boshehr, Iran.