Air pollution threatens the health of 226 thousand people across 11 districts in Lubombo. The average PM2.5 level is 13.8 µg/m³—2.8× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Lubombo faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 226 thousand across 11 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 13.8µg/m³. That's 2.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 229 cigarettes in a year.
If Lubombo met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.87 years longer.
That's 197K years of life stolen from 226 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 Lubombo. 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 Lubombo, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dvokodvweni | 34K | 14.0 | 0.9 years |
| Sithobela | 33K | 13.8 | 0.9 years |
| Lomahasha | 30K | 14.2 | 0.9 years |
| Siphofaneni | 27K | 14.2 | 0.9 years |
| Mpholonjeni | 23K | 13.1 | 0.8 years |
| Nkilongo | 16K | 13.1 | 0.8 years |
| Matsanjeni North | 16K | 13.0 | 0.8 years |
| Lubuli | 14K | 12.5 | 0.7 years |
| Mhlume | 13K | 15.3 | 1.0 years |
| Lugongolweni | 11K | 13.2 | 0.8 years |
| Hlane | 9K | 14.9 | 1.0 years |
Showing 11 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.