Air pollution threatens the health of 1.7 million people across 7 districts in Mtwara. The average PM2.5 level is 10.7 µg/m³—2.1× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Mtwara faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.7 million across 7 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 10.7µg/m³. That's 2.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 178 cigarettes in a year.
If Mtwara met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.56 years longer.
That's 971K years of life stolen from 1.7 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 7 most polluted districts in Mtwara. 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 Mtwara, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masasi | 339K | 11.7 | 0.7 years |
| Mtwara Rural | 324K | 8.9 | 0.4 years |
| Tandahimba | 310K | 10.5 | 0.5 years |
| Newala | 273K | 11.2 | 0.6 years |
| Nanyumbu | 189K | 13.0 | 0.8 years |
| Mtwara Urban | 158K | 8.0 | 0.3 years |
| Masasi Town | 140K | 11.4 | 0.6 years |
Showing 7 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.