In a severe break from the usual travel guide, what follows is more of a distress signal and blatant admonition. The lesson? Be wary of certain travel destinations, especially if you suffer from respiratory problems and have small children and grandparents in tow.
While it may not be much of a surprise to discover what countries they’re in, it might shock some people to find out just how depressingly filthy and squalid the following cities are. Of the twenty most polluted cities on Earth, most sources place at least sixteen of them in China. Torn between the temptations of free enterprise and the apparent obstacles environmental protections place on capitalism and rampant industrial production, the People’s Republic chooses for now at least, to look the other way (unless of course, they host the Olympic Games and feel temporarily shamed).
Unfortunately, with the United States sluggish to blaze the trail on revolutionary green initiatives, there is little hope that China will take the lead, certainly not as it seeks to become the dominant economic power in the world. The sad fact of the matter is that until money becomes the incentive to change, the status quo will remain in place. Because for now at least, toxic soil, contaminated water, record high birth defects and aberrant cancer rates just don’t seem to be doing it.
In 2006 the Blacksmith Institute released an in-depth study, compiled over the course of seven years, detailing the most troubled hotspots in the world from a pollution standpoint. Most of the data is still relevant today and as we can see, the People’s Republic of China has plenty of company. In fact, the first part of our list contains nary a city in China.
Here then, are areas around the world whose grim and dubious practices threaten resident populations of at least 200,000.
Mexico City has many obstacles in place to combat some of the worst air pollution in the world. A metro population of 20 million, more than 4 million cars on the road and a geography that virtually traps smog over the city. Estimates show that even a mere 10% reduction in harmful emissions would save hundreds of lives a year.
Just 25 km north of Prague, the dangerous leftover waste of a massive defunct chemical factory threatens the health of more than a quarter million people. Efforts to transform the area into a clean industrial site are underway. The millions of tourists who visit beautiful Prague every year are none the wiser.
Oil rich Nigeria has made a virual pact with the devil to exploit the resource and satisfy the world’s insatiable thirst for black gold. The country’s vast poor pays the ultimate price, especially in the Niger Delta, where more than 300,000 people fall prey to oil spills, toxic fumes and decrepit infrastructure.
A remarkable 2 million people in Dakar’s industrial zone are victims to some of the worst conditions in Africa. The water in Hann Bay, where locals bathe, wash and fish, has been found to contain fecal bacteria at levels seventeen times higher than World Health Organization standards.
The state of Sao Paulo in Brazil is one of the most industrialized zones in the world. Colossal state corporations dominate the area and for decades, pumped raw sewage and chemical waste into the Cubatao River. As a result, cancer, infant mortality rates and myriad other medical problems among the resident population of more than 2 million have been off the charts. Time will tell if recent progressive reforms bear fruit.
A final note about this and Part I of our articles on the most polluted areas in the world. While in no particular order and by no means definitive and complete, in that a host of other locations, most notably in China, India and Russia could have made the list, the Blacksmith Institute’s landmark study did provide the backbone of research data. And for the record, we still think Mexico City and Sao Paolo are pretty cool, despite their problems.
If you want to visit a less hazardous city in Brazil, check out some of the best hotel deals in the country.
Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
I think it is so sick about how polluted this world is. Mexico City is deadly polluted. The polluting concentration levels and the period of exposure the effects of pollution can range from a little irritation to acute sickness or even to premature death. Its discusting to think of what we are doing to this world.