Air pollution threatens the health of 2.8 million people across 10 districts in Sankuru. The average PM2.5 level is 34.9 µg/m³—7.0× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Sankuru faces significant air pollution challenges. 90% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 2.8 million across 10 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 34.9µg/m³. That's 7.0 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 579 cigarettes in a year.
If Sankuru met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 2.92 years longer.
That's 8.1M years of life stolen from 2.8 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.
Lives cut short. Breathing kills.
The top 9 most polluted districts in Sankuru. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³—only populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.
Complete air quality data for every district in Sankuru, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lodja | 968K | 35.9 | 3.0 years |
| Katako-Kombe | 567K | 34.5 | 2.9 years |
| Lubefu | 370K | 32.4 | 2.7 years |
| Kole | 325K | 35.9 | 3.0 years |
| Lomela | 310K | 34.0 | 2.8 years |
| Lusambo | 168K | 35.7 | 3.0 years |
| Lusambo (ville) | 64K | 35.5 | 3.0 years |
| Lodja (ville) | 5K | 36.5 | 3.1 years |
| Bena-Dibele | 408 | 35.4 | 3.0 years |
| Tshumbe | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 years |
Showing 10 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.