Monday, March 03, 2008

The World's 25 Dirtiest Cities 2008

Surveys of the world's dirtiest cities are always interesting. This time Forbes has added pictures. Of course, a picture of a rubbish dump means very little out of context but at least the methodology behind this list is relatively sound.

The World's Dirtiest Cities [Forbes]

All cities are positioned against New York, the base city with an index score of 100. For the Health and Sanitation Rankings, the index scores range from the worst on the list--Baku, Azerbaijan, with a score of 27.6--to the best on the list--Calgary, Canada, with a score of 131.7.

Lead-poisoned air lands Dhaka, Bangladesh, the No. 2 spot on the list. Traffic congestion in the capital continues to worsen with vehicles emitting fatal amounts of air pollutants daily, including lead. The World Bank-funded Air Quality Management Project aims to help.

which is based on numbers from the Mercer Human Resource Consulting's 2007 Health and Sanitation Rankings.

What readers may find surprising is that China does not appear. I believe this is because Chinese cities were not included or data was not available. Otherwise I suspect the picture would be different - or would it?

The criteria are as follows:

As part of their 2007 Quality of Life Report, they ranked 215 cities worldwide based on levels of air pollution, waste management, water potability, hospital services, medical supplies and the presence of infectious disease.


Africa does badly. Where is Iran? Is is surprising that Baghdad is not higher? The bottom line appears to be that wars (civil or otherwise) and not good for your health or pollution. The scores are relative to New York = 100.

1. Baku, Azerbaijan (27.6)
2. Dhaka, Bangladesh (29.6)
3. Antanananvo, Madagascar (30.1)
4. Port au Price, Haiti (34)
5. Mexico City, Mexico (37.7)
6. Adid Ababa, Ethiopia (37.9)
7. Mumbai, India (38.2)
8. Baghdad, Iraq (39)
9. Almanty, Kazakhstan (39.1)
10. Brazzaville, Congo (39.1)
11. Ndjamena, Chad (39.7)
12. Dares Salaam, Tanzania (40.4)
13. Bangui, Central African Republic (42.1)
14. Moscow, Russia (43.4)
15. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (43.4)
16. Basmako, Mali (43.7)
17. Point Noire, Congo (43.8)
18. Lome, Togo (44.1)
19. Conakry, Guinea Republic (44.2)
20. Novakschott, Mauritania (44.7)
21. Niamey, Niger (45)
22. Luanda, Angola (45.2)
23. Maputo, Mozambique (46.3)
24. New Dehli, India (46.6)
25. Pat Harcourt, Nigeria (46.8)

As a straw poll of the geographic knowledge of G&E readers be honest and tell me how many of these cities you had heard of before reading this list. No cheating.

Over 70% would be impressive is my guess.

5 comments:

----t h rive---- said...

I’ve heard of 8 of those 25 (32%) – and I consider myself knowledgeable in Geography etc.

Also, proud to say I’ve lived in the 2nd dirtiest (Dhaka). Where’s Manila, Philippines? I was surprised not to see it up there. Then again, it is fairly developed compared to many of them – I know it as the Mexico City of SE Asia.

Anonymous said...

I knew 14 of the cities and I have travelled to 4 of them. I would love to know where Phnom Penh is on the list. I was always afraid to catch sometheing while traveling there.

Anonymous said...

heard of 9 :(

garauzo@email said...

POLLUTION TO THE OROYA CITY PERÚ
The years 2006 and 2007 the Blacksmith Institute have accomplished a research about the cities more contaminated to the world and arrived to the conclusion that the Oroya city was between the 10 cities more polluted of the world and, the environment Graffiti 2008 said that is between five more pollute too to the world and the 2008 Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross Switzerland say that Oroya is between the most polluted of the world. This qualifications are benevolents; according to my researchs to many years who I am publishing, the Oroya city is the more polluted to Peru, Latin America and of the world and every day is being more polluted: lead in blood in children in the Ancient Oroya in average 53.7 ug/dl ( DIGESA 1999); pregnancies women 39.49 ig/dl ( UNES 2000), new borns children 19.06 ug/dl, puerperal 319 ug/100 grams/placenta ( Castro 2003) and workers 50 ug/dl ( Doe Run 2003).Top lead in blood accepted 10 ug/dl; present day is 0 ug/dl ( Pediatric of Academy to USA)
When the Oroya city was in hands to the CentroMin eliminated only by the upper chimney to 167.500 meters, in average by day in tons: sulfur dioxide 1000, lead 2500, arsenic 2500, cadmium 40, particulate matter 50 and so on, more 24,000 to toxis gas product to the incomplete combustion of the coal, without count it is eliminated by industrial incinerator y by the 97 smalls chimneys, it is estimated 15,000; overall 45,000 tons for day (PAMA . El Complejo Metalúrgico de la Oroya, 1996); other research say that by this chimney only eliminate overall 119¨917,440 tons too every day to a velocity to 8.7 meters by second ( Chuquimantari C. Yauli-La Oroya Minería y Ciudades Empresas Pág. 57, 1992)
Doe Run envoy every three months the concentrations of the heavy metals to the Ministry to the Energy and Mines and with the sames datums Ceverstav have demostrated the pollution was increased; for example the sulfur dioxide it have increased in near to 300 %, by increment to the production (Cederstav. La Oroya no Espera 2002
The American Association to the Environment say that the environmental quality to the Oroya it is serious deteriorated since that Doe Run was owner and the same enterprise
declared that the concentrations of the heavy metals gas is ncreased in the air: lead 1160 %, cadmium 1990 % and arsenic 6006 % (Portugal, et al. Los Humos de Doe Run 2003)
Godofredo Arauzo
godo_ara@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

I'VE HEARD OF 18 OUT OF THOSE 25.PERHAPS U WILL SAY ITS BCOS AM AN AFRICAN AND MOST R FROM HERE BUT THEN AGAIN IT COULD B BCOS WE AFRICANS R MORE AWARE OF THE WORLD WE LIVE IN