Air pollution threatens the health of 897 thousand people across 13 districts in Machinga. The average PM2.5 level is 19.1 Āµg/mĀ³ā3.8Ć higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Machinga faces significant air pollution challenges. 92% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 897 thousand across 13 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 19.1Āµg/mĀ³. That's 3.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5Āµg/mĀ³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 317 cigarettes in a year.
If Machinga met the WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³, the average person would live 1.4 years longer.
That's 1.3M years of life stolen from 897 thousand 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 10 most polluted districts in Machinga. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 Āµg/mĀ³āonly populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.
Complete air quality data for every district in Machinga, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 Āµg/mĀ³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| TA Kawinga | 210K | 18.9 | 1.4 years |
| TA Liwonde | 139K | 18.2 | 1.3 years |
| SC Chikweo | 100K | 19.8 | 1.5 years |
| TA Nyambi | 92K | 17.7 | 1.2 years |
| SC Mlomba | 74K | 19.9 | 1.5 years |
| SC Sitola | 71K | 19.9 | 1.5 years |
| SC Ngokwe | 47K | 20.0 | 1.5 years |
| Liwonde Town | 46K | 20.2 | 1.5 years |
| SC Chamba | 39K | 19.8 | 1.5 years |
| SC Mposa | 38K | 21.4 | 1.6 years |
| SC Chiwalo | 38K | 16.6 | 1.1 years |
| Liwonda National Park | 3K | 19.3 | 1.4 years |
| Lake Chilwa | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 years |
Showing 13 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³.