India's New Delhi has officially overtaken Beijing as the city with the highest levels of air pollution in the world. A new reported published by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that New Delhi's air pollution levels have exceeded critical limits.
The latest WHO report on air pollution levels was compiled using data from 91 countries all over the world. The report included data about the air quality in nearly 1600 cities. The data was compiled over a period of five years from 2008 all the way up to 2013. Moreover, most of the data in the report was gathered between the years 2011 and 2012.
In India, the report indicated that the top four areas with the highest levels of air pollution include Raipur, Patna, Gwailor and Delhi. New Delhi is the country's capital and is a territory within Delhi.
"Too many urban centers today are so enveloped in dirty air that their skylines are invisible," said WHO assistant director-general for Family, Children and Women's Health Dr. Flavia Bustreo. "Not surprisingly, this air is dangerous to breathe. So a growing number of cities and communities worldwide are striving to better meet the needs of their residents - in particular children and the elderly."
Back in 2011, WHO published a shorter version of their air pollution report. Since the previous report was released, the levels of air pollution in New Delhi have increased considerably. Health experts believe that the increased levels of pollution could bring about more cases of various cancers as well as heart and lung diseases.
The data was gathered by measuring the small particles of air pollutions floating around in urban centers. According to the WHO report, the air pollution levels in Delhi have increased from 109 microgrammes per cubic meter back in 2011 to 134 microgrammes per cubic meter last year.
"We can win the fight against air pollution and reduce the number of people suffering from respiratory and heart disease, as well as lung cancer," said WHO director of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health Maria Neira. "Effective policies and strategies are well understood, but they need to be implemented at sufficient scale. Cities such as Copenhagen and Bogotà, for example, have improved air quality by promoting ‘active transport' and prioritizing dedicated networks of urban public transport, walking and cycling."
While Delhi is not sitting on top of the list of cities with the dirtiest air, some cities have managed to lower their respective air pollution levels. This demonstrates the fact the measures used to control air pollution can be effective. However, any methods and strategies aimed at reducing air pollution need to be applied and consistently enforced in a wide enough scale for any changes to be felt. Such strategies will include promoting non-polluting forms of transportation such as cycling or walking, the adaptation of more efficient mass public transport systems and stricter regulations regarding the certification of motor vehicles.
