Breathing in Riau is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 6.5 million people across 12 districts in Riau. The average PM2.5 level is 13.9 µg/m³—2.8Ɨ higher than the WHO guideline.

Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Air Pollution in Riau

Riau faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 6.5 million across 12 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 13.9µg/m³. That's 2.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 231 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 Riau met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.87 years longer.

That's 5.7M years of life stolen from 6.5 million 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 Riau. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Kuantan Singingi
    1 years lost
  • 2.Rokan Hilir
    1 years lost
  • 3.Rokan Hulu
    0.9 years lost
  • 4.Indragiri Hulu
    0.9 years lost
  • 5.Indragiri Hilir
    0.9 years lost
  • 6.Kampar
    0.9 years lost
  • 7.Dumai
    0.9 years lost
  • 8.Bengkalis
    0.9 years lost
  • 9.Pekanbaru
    0.8 years lost
  • 10.Siak
    0.8 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
94.7%
6.2M
15-25 µg/m³
5.3%
349K
25-35 µg/m³
0%
0
> 35 µg/m³
0%
0

All 12 Districts in Riau

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

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Pekanbaru1.0M
13.3
0.8 years
Kampar821K
14.3
0.9 years
Indragiri Hilir668K
14.3
0.9 years
Rokan Hilir647K
15.0
1.0 years
Rokan Hulu603K
14.4
0.9 years
Bengkalis590K
13.7
0.9 years
Siak469K
12.9
0.8 years
Indragiri Hulu461K
14.3
0.9 years
Pelalawan394K
12.7
0.7 years
Kuantan Singingi349K
15.2
1.0 years
Dumai321K
13.8
0.9 years
Kepulauan Meranti204K
11.7
0.7 years

Showing 12 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.