Air pollution threatens the health of 499 thousand people across 3 districts in Bougainville. The average PM2.5 level is 5.6 Āµg/mĀ³ā1.1Ć higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Bougainville faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 499 thousand across 3 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 5.6Āµg/mĀ³. That's 1.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5Āµg/mĀ³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 93 cigarettes in a year.
If Bougainville met the WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³, the average person would live 0.07 years longer.
That's 35K years of life stolen from 499 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 3 most polluted districts in Bougainville. 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 Bougainville, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 Āµg/mĀ³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Bougainville | 177K | 5.6 | 0.1 years |
| Central Bougainville | 164K | 5.8 | 0.1 years |
| North Bougainville | 157K | 5.3 | 0.0 years |
Showing 3 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³.