"84% of Global Regions Show Air Quality Improvement Due to COVID-19 Lockdowns"

Improved Air Quality in Major Global Cities Compared to 2019
Only the US West and Australia, Affected by Wildfires, Show Deterioration in Air Quality

[Image source=Iqair.com]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Due to prolonged lockdown measures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the air quality in major cities worldwide improved in 2020 compared to 2019. However, air quality worsened in areas such as the western United States, which suffered large-scale wildfires, and eastern Australia.

On the 16th (local time), CNN reported that global air quality analysis company IQAir released the "2020 World Air Report," stating that air quality improved by more than 10% in 84% of regions worldwide compared to the previous year. New Delhi, India, known as one of the world's most polluted cities, saw about a 16% improvement in air pollution levels compared to the previous year.

In cities where strict COVID-19 lockdown measures were implemented, such as Singapore, Beijing, and Bangkok, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations decreased by approximately 15-20%. IQAir also reported that air quality improved in 49 out of 50 of the most severely polluted cities in Southeast Asia and India.

On the other hand, cities adjacent to wildfire areas last year, such as Los Angeles, Melbourne, and S?o Paulo, experienced higher air pollution indices compared to 2019. In particular, the United States, which suffered the worst western coastal wildfires in September last year, saw a significant deterioration in air quality. Among the world's top 100 most polluted cities, 77 were located in North America. The proportion of U.S. cities with PM2.5 concentrations exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) standards increased from 21% in 2019 to 38% last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.