Air pollution threatens the health of 739 thousand people across 10 districts in Matabeleland South. The average PM2.5 level is 13.8 µg/m³—2.8× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Matabeleland South faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 739 thousand across 10 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 Matabeleland South met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.87 years longer.
That's 643K years of life stolen from 739 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 Matabeleland South. 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 Matabeleland South, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insiza | 137K | 14.0 | 0.9 years |
| Matobo | 107K | 13.2 | 0.8 years |
| Beitbridge | 105K | 13.4 | 0.8 years |
| Bulilima | 95K | 15.5 | 1.0 years |
| Umzingwane | 80K | 13.8 | 0.9 years |
| Mangwe | 73K | 13.8 | 0.9 years |
| Beitbridge Urban | 65K | 13.1 | 0.8 years |
| Gwanda Urban | 30K | 13.1 | 0.8 years |
| Gwanda | 30K | 13.1 | 0.8 years |
| Plumtree | 16K | 13.8 | 0.9 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.