Breathing in Badakhshan is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 930 thousand people across 13 districts in Badakhshan. The average PM2.5 level is 16.4 µg/m³—3.3Ɨ higher than the WHO guideline.

Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Air Pollution in Badakhshan

Badakhshan faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 930 thousand across 13 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 16.4µg/m³. That's 3.3 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 272 cigarettes in a year.

Air Quality Trend

Annual PM2.5 levels from 2014 to 2023. The WHO guideline for safe air is 5 µg/m³.

Life Expectancy Impact

If Badakhshan met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.11 years longer.

That's 1.0M years of life stolen from 930 thousand people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.

Lives cut short. Breathing kills.

Districts with Highest Pollution

The top 10 most polluted districts in Badakhshan. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Kishim
    1.3 years lost
  • 2.Kuran Wa Munjan
    1.2 years lost
  • 3.Fayzabad
    1.2 years lost
  • 4.Zebak
    1.2 years lost
  • 5.Shahri Buzurg
    1.2 years lost
  • 6.Jurm
    1.1 years lost
  • 7.Baharak
    1 years lost
  • 8.Khwahan
    1 years lost
  • 9.Ishkashim
    1 years lost
  • 10.Ragh
    0.9 years lost

Population Exposure by Pollution Level

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.

< 5 µg/m³
0%
0
5-10 µg/m³
0%
0
10-15 µg/m³
16.1%
149K
15-25 µg/m³
83.9%
780K
25-35 µg/m³
0%
0
> 35 µg/m³
0%
0

All 13 Districts in Badakhshan

Complete air quality data for every district in Badakhshan, sorted by population.

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Fayzabad316K
17.2
1.2 years
Kishim156K
18.5
1.3 years
Baharak100K
15.7
1.0 years
Jurm99K
16.3
1.1 years
Ragh78K
14.2
0.9 years
Shahri Buzurg55K
16.8
1.2 years
Darwaz29K
13.0
0.8 years
Shighnan28K
11.8
0.7 years
Khwahan22K
15.5
1.0 years
Ishkashim19K
15.4
1.0 years
Wakhan15K
11.5
0.6 years
Kuran Wa Munjan9K
17.5
1.2 years
Zebak4K
16.9
1.2 years

Showing 13 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.