Traveling And Like To Breath Fresh Air? Where Not To Go #TravelHealth

By

 Juergen T Steinmetz

 

The Gulf region may be the leader in luxury travel and tourism, but it does have the worst air quality in the world. As part of the Earth day campaign for greener cities, the organization wants the world to adopt methods such as joining the solar revolution, opting for green buildings with a focus on renewable energy, and deciding on other modes of transport like a bike or the bus to help reduce harmful emissions.

Toxic cities are mostly a man-made problem. The single largest source of air pollutants is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline. Fossil fuels are used for heating, to operate transportation vehicles, in generating electricity, and in manufacturing and other industrial processes. Burning these fuels causes smog, acid rain and greenhouse gas emissions.

Middle-Eastern oil-rich countries dominate the top ten spaces on the most polluted list of cities. Such cities are located in :

1. Saudi Arabia, particle matter level of 108.
2. Qatar, particle matter level of 103.
3. Egypt, particle matter level of 93.
4. Bangladesh, particle matter level of 84.
5. Kuwait, particle matter level of 75.
6. Cameroon, particle matter level of 65.
7. Mauritania, particle matter level of 65.
8. Nepal, particle matter level of 64.
9. Nepal, particle matter level of 64.
10. India, particle matter level of 62.

11. Libya, particle matter level of 61.
12. Bahrain, particle matter level of 60.
13. Pakistan, particle matter level of 60.
14. Niger, particle matter level of 59.
15. Uganda, particle matter level of 57.
16. China, particle matter level of 54.
17. Myanmar, particle matter level of 51.
18. Iraq, particle matter level of 50.
19. Bhutan, particle matter level of 48.
20. Oman, particle matter level of 48.

The United Kingdom is placed 159th on the list with a particle matter level of 12. The USA have been given the 173rd spot, with an impressively low particle matter level of 8.

The interactive map also shows that countries such as China, who are infamous for the lack of clean air within their cities, have polluted air levels that are HALF of the amount of Saudi Arabia. China scored a level of 54 compared to the Saudi Arabia’s horrifying particle matter score of 108. Saudi Arabia is the top offender in the most polluted city stakes.

The likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases, cancer and stroke are heightened in areas with high pollution and studies prove that child mortality rates are higher in countries with greater air pollution. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution is now a greater threat to health than Ebola or HIV and 80% of all urban areas have air pollution levels above hat is considered healthy.

It is not all doom and gloom, some of the cleanest air in the world belongs to New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Brunei Darussalam, who all boast an impressive level of particle matter at 5.

For more information on the World’s Most Toxic Cities, you can visit: www.eco2greetings.com.