Air pollution threatens the health of 353 thousand people across 8 districts in Baja Verapaz. The average PM2.5 level is 20.8 µg/m³—4.2× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Baja Verapaz faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 353 thousand across 8 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 20.8µg/m³. That's 4.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 345 cigarettes in a year.
If Baja Verapaz met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.55 years longer.
That's 547K years of life stolen from 353 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 8 most polluted districts in Baja Verapaz. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Complete air quality data for every district in Baja Verapaz, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salamá | 77K | 21.2 | 1.6 years |
| Purulhá | 67K | 23.7 | 1.8 years |
| Cubulco | 64K | 18.9 | 1.4 years |
| Rabinal | 49K | 19.7 | 1.4 years |
| San Miguel Chicaj | 40K | 19.2 | 1.4 years |
| San Jerónimo | 29K | 18.9 | 1.4 years |
| Granados | 18K | 24.6 | 1.9 years |
| Santa Cruz El Chol | 10K | 22.4 | 1.7 years |
Showing 8 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.