Print article The devastating wildfires that torched a record 4.3 million acres in the U.S. in 2020 made North America the only region in the world where air quality was worse than during the previous year. Most of the world’s major cities had better air last year than in 2019, mainly thanks to coronavirus lockdowns that cleared skies for weeks or months, according to the annual report by air quality platform IQAir. Though India’s New Delhi was the most-polluted capital city, its pollution levels nevertheless fell 16% from the previous year. Los Angeles, Melbourne and Sao Paulo, all of which were close to major wildfires in 2020, were among the few where pollution was worse than in 2019.
Highlights
Delhi is the most polluted ‘capital city’ globally World Air Quality Report, 2020 has been prepared by a Swiss organisation, IQAir
New Delhi: Twenty-two of the world s 30 most polluted cities are in India, with Delhi being ranked as the most polluted capital city globally, a new report said on Tuesday. World Air Quality Report, 2020 prepared by a Swiss organisation, IQAir, which was released globally, stated that Delhi s air quality improved by approximately 15 per cent from 2019 to 2020. The report said that despite the improvement, Delhi ranked as the 10th most polluted city and the top polluted capital city in the world.
Despite the Occasional Airpocalypse, Beijing’s Air Is on a Path To Steady Improvement Mar 16, 2021 10:09 am | 1 comment | 410 reads
Yes, we get it, we’ve had a horrendous couple of weeks here in the capital, capping yesterday’s disastrously bad pollution that had air monitors around the city just up and quitting in disgust. But things are getting better, I swear! Just take a look at the cold hard facts: Beijing now ranks a mere #241 on the list of world’s worst cities for air pollution.
For a long time, we Beijingers have loved to lament our fate as one of the worst. But as time goes on that is becoming less and less of a calling card for the capital – according to the very latest World Air Quality Report by IQAir released this morning, there are 240 cities that have it worse than us.
World Air Quality Report Reveals Substantial Air Quality Changes In 2020
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GOLDACH, Switzerland, March 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ New data from IQAir s global air quality data platform, published in the 2020 World Air Quality Report and an online interactive global map, reveals the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and behavioral changes on global particulate pollution (PM2.5) levels.
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indings:
COVID-19 impact: In 2020, 84% of all monitored countries observed air quality improvements, largely due to global measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Air quality improvements across major cities in 2020 compared to 2019 include Beijing (-11%), Chicago (-13%), Delhi (-15%), London (-16%), Paris (-17%) and Seoul (-16%).