Air pollution threatens the health of 938 thousand people across 9 districts in Morobe. The average PM2.5 level is 11.9 Āµg/mĀ³ā2.4Ć higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Morobe faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 938 thousand across 9 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 11.9Āµg/mĀ³. That's 2.4 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5Āµg/mĀ³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 197 cigarettes in a year.
If Morobe met the WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³, the average person would live 0.67 years longer.
That's 628K years of life stolen from 938 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 9 most polluted districts in Morobe. 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 Morobe, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 Āµg/mĀ³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lae | 187K | 12.0 | 0.7 years |
| Huon | 148K | 12.2 | 0.7 years |
| Bulolo | 143K | 11.9 | 0.7 years |
| Menyamya | 125K | 12.7 | 0.7 years |
| Markham | 92K | 13.5 | 0.8 years |
| Nawae | 84K | 11.5 | 0.6 years |
| Finschhafen | 61K | 9.6 | 0.5 years |
| Kabwum | 53K | 10.9 | 0.6 years |
| Tewae-Siassi | 44K | 9.8 | 0.5 years |
Showing 9 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³.