Air pollution threatens the health of 5.8 million people across 10 districts in Pakistani-administered Kashmir. The average PM2.5 level is 23.9 Āµg/mĀ³ā4.8Ć higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Pakistani-administered Kashmir faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 5.8 million across 10 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 23.9Āµg/mĀ³. That's 4.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5Āµg/mĀ³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 397 cigarettes in a year.
If Pakistani-administered Kashmir met the WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³, the average person would live 1.84 years longer.
That's 10.6M years of life stolen from 5.8 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 10 most polluted districts in Pakistani-administered Kashmir. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 Āµg/mĀ³āonly populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.
Complete air quality data for every district in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 Āµg/mĀ³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mirpur | 1.0M | 32.5 | 2.7 years |
| Kotli | 896K | 22.5 | 1.7 years |
| Poonch | 773K | 21.6 | 1.6 years |
| Bhimber | 750K | 25.6 | 2.0 years |
| Bagh | 701K | 20.8 | 1.5 years |
| Muzaffarabad | 694K | 21.3 | 1.6 years |
| Sudhnoti | 440K | 22.4 | 1.7 years |
| Jhelum Valley | 260K | 19.3 | 1.4 years |
| Neelum | 155K | 17.3 | 1.2 years |
| Haveli | 59K | 21.8 | 1.6 years |
Showing 10 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³.