Only 2.7% of Southeast Asia cities meet WHO guideline for air quality

A new report from IQAir, a company that tracks air pollution worldwide, shows that only a tiny fraction of regional cities in Southeast Asia recorded air quality levels in 2022 that meet international health standards.

According to its most recent report released on Tuesday, only 2.7 per cent of cities in the region -- eight cities out of 296 -- have met the World Health Organization's WHO guideline for PM 2.5, according to its most recent report released on Tuesday.

PM 2.5 are tiny particles that can cause serious health problems. It is one of the deadliest forms of air pollution with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres.

These particles can be found deep in the lungs, where they can either stay in the bloodstream for long periods or pass into the bloodstream unfiltered.

Excess exposure to harmful air pollution can weaken resistance to respiratory diseases and increase the risks of lung cancer and heart disease.

It can be caused by multiple sources, but in Southeast Asia the leading polluters were industry emissions, power generation, vehicle emissions and open burning, IQAir said in its report.

Indonesia had the highest regional pollution levels, with six of its cities in the top 15 for the highest PM 2.5 concentrations, including the top-ranked Pasarkemis in Java s Banten province, and major metropolises Jakarta and Surabaya placing fourth and seventh on the most polluted regional list.

Vietnam's Hanoi ranked second, while Laos capital Vientiane was 14th most polluted city last year.

The overall air quality improved throughout Southeast Asia last year, with seven of nine countries in the region recording a decrease in PM 2.5 concentrations over the year. Only Vietnam and Laos saw air pollution levels worsen.

Three Indonesian cities also placed in the healthy range of 0 -- 5 micrograms per cubic metre -- the measurement of the concentration of air pollutants. They were Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara province, Pangkal Pinang in Bangka Belitung Islands province and Mamuju in West Sulawesi.

According to the survey by IQAir, the region's best air quality was in Nam Sach, a rural district in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam.