7 of the World's Most Polluted Countries ...

1. Botswana

With the world’s largest proportion of land under conservation and only two million people, it may come as a surprise that Botswana ranks quite high on the list of the world’s most polluted countries. The Kalahari Desert consumes 80 percent of Botswana and, though at the time of its 1966 independence from Britain, Botswana was amongst the poorest African nations, presently the country is the largest diamond producer and boasts one of the world’s fastest growing economies. However, with a rapidly growing economy comes rapidly growing environmental issues. Pollution, wild fires, nickel and sulfur dioxide emissions make up just some of the air pollution problems resulting from Botswana’s mineral and copper smelting industries.

2. Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar is one of the most polluted cities in one of the world’s most polluted countries. 45% of Mongolia’s population resides here, clocking in at around 1.2 million. A fourth of the year, Ulaanbaatar’s residents cannot even see the horizon, as the coldest months cast the sky in thick brown smog. The pollution’s main sources are its old cars and heavy traffic, as well as its coal-fuelled boilers and stoves, which are heavily used, as Mongolia’s cold requires heating for nearly eight months of the year. The dry climate and the use of refuse in stoves and boilers, such as tar-dipped bricks, increases the horrific levels of airborne dust.

3. Iran

Iran’s city of Ahvaz is one of the most polluted in the world, with triple the average amount of pollution in the whole of Iran. The 1.3 million strong industrialized desert city holds much of the country’s oil fields and, as Iran holds the third-largest oil reserves and the second-largest natural gas reserves in the world, this means there’s a whole lot of oil to be found here. The terrible air pollution is largely attributed to low-quality gasoline which is locally produced. The fuel is high-octane and, instead of being manufactured in refineries, it’s produced in petrochemical plants. The smog has resulted in shutdowns of schools and businesses in Tehran, Iran’s capital, and significant breathing problems have been noted in Tehran’s residents.

4. Egypt

Egypt’s factories are the main cause of air pollution in the country, throwing up gases, lead and cement dust to be breathed in by its inhabitants. Added to that, Cairo sees exhaust fumes from its more than 2.1 million vehicles and 300,000 motorbikes, which alone emit 150,000 tons of pollution into the air. These two-stroke model motorbikes release enough hydrocarbons to equate the emissions of around 10 to 15 cars running on gasoline. The country’s environmentalists are making efforts to decrease pollution formed by the “Black Cloud” which occurs annually in the autumn due to farmers burning crop remnants and rice chaff.

5. Pakistan

The air pollution in Pakistan is almost ten times the amount that WHO considers environmentally dangerous. The corruption and instability of Pakistan’s government results in a lack of carbon emission-controlling initiatives, leaving a thick smog in its wake, particularly in Pakistan’s major cities of Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. A government study in 2008 showed that every Pakistani car emits 25 percent more carbon than an American counterpart. Water pollution is a major problem in the country as well. Industrial waste, raw sewage and an evaporating water supply may result in Pakistan becoming a “water-famine” country within ten years time.

6. Saudi Arabia

The largest producer and exporter of petroleum in the world, and the second largest oil producer, holding a fifth of global oil reserves, is, perhaps not surprisingly, also one of the world’s most polluted countries. Saudi Arabia’s oil boom over the past few decades has increased environmental pollution significantly, especially along its coastline. Power, oil and other industries close by the coast have produced chemical and oil plumes, as well as sewage outflows. On top of that, high vehicle exhaust levels and a dry desert climate have resulted in respiratory diseases in its residents. The government, however, is looking to change this, launching its first solar power plant and making other efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

7. Senegal

Swift economic development alongside poor urban planning has resulted in one of the world’s most polluted countries. Vehicle emissions, mining, and domestic energy fuel combustion is the cause of Senegal’s high pollution levels. Old cars with high fuel emissions and smoky stoves result in acute respiratory infections in the nation’s residents. As with most West African countries, Senegal is trying to regulate air pollution, but inadequate resources prove enforcing these emissions standards a toughand go effort.

This list of the world’s most polluted countries was based on figures compiled from results in 2012. I wonder if the same countries will appear in the top 10 for 2013? Did any of these surprise you?

Resource
cnbc.com