ISLAMABAD: Pakistan ranked third most polluted country in the list of most polluted countries in 2024, recording a national annual average PM2.5 concentration of 73.7 micrograms per cubic metre, the same as the previous year, according to the World Air Quality Report 2024 published on Tuesday.

Despite the unchanged national average, key cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Lahore and Peshawar experienced increases in PM2.5 concentrations.

The report says 12 cities in Pakistan had annual average concentrations more than 10 times the WHO guidelines, or above 50.0 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3).

The report, released by IQAir, a Swiss-based air quality technology company, finds Chad the world`s most polluted country, followed by Bangladesh, Pakistan, D.R. Congo and India.

A total of 126 out of 138 countries and regions exceeded the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline value of 5µg/m3.

According to the report, November was particularly polluted, with five cities reporting monthly averages exceeding 200µg/m3.

December followed as another heavily polluted month, with nine cities recording monthly averages above 120µg/m3.

Lahore, the country`s most polluted city, breached an annual average PM2.5 concentrations of over 100µg/m3 for the first time since 2018.

Many cities experienced consistently high pollution levels from late fall through winter, reflecting seasonal air quality challenges,report says.

Pakistan faces persistently high levels of pollution from various sources, including biomass burning, industrial activities, vehicular emissions, brick kilns, and construction dust. PM2.5 levels often spike to dangerous levels during winter, driven by a combination of agricultural stubble burning and temperature inversions that trap partic-ulate matter near the ground.

This seasonal confluence results in consistently high pollution during winter months, with multiple months recording average PM2.5 concentrations exceeding 100pg/m3 more than 20 times the WHO recommended guideline.

In November, air quality reached hazardous levels due toa combination of festival celebrations, brick kiln emissions, and adverse weather conditions.

The severe pollution led to school closures and the shutdown of public spaces such as zoos, parks, and playgrounds to minimize exposure, particularly for children.

Many were hospitalised with respiratory conditions as a resultof exposure to poor air quality.

While the government has made efforts to regulate pollution from brick kilns, numerous facilities continue to emit harmful pollutants. Additionally, Diwali celebrations, including widespread use of firecrackers, exacerbated transboundary pollution across the region.

The 2024 World Air Quality Report evaluates the global state of air quality for the year 2024. This comprehensive report presents PM2.5 air quality data collected from 8,954 cities across 138 countries, regions, and territories.

Only 12 countries, regions, and territories recorded PM2.5 concentrations below the WHO annual PM2.5 guidelines of 5.0µg/m3, most of which were in the Latin America and Caribbean or Oceania region; however, in 2024, 17pc of cities included in the report met the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline level, up from 9pc in 2023.

Seven countries met the WHO annual average PM2.5 guidelines and they are Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Estonia, Grenada, Iceland and New Zealand.