Oman and Bahrain are among the 10 nations with the worst air quality, a study has found.
The 2021 World Air Quality Report, conducted by Swiss firm IQAir, is based on measurements of particulate matter obtained by ground-level monitoring stations worldwide.
PM2.5, the size studied, consists of fine aerosol particles measuring 2.5 microns or smaller in diameter and is thought to be the most harmful to health of the air pollutants monitored by international bodies.
The report, released on Tuesday, said Oman had the sixth-worst air quality at 53.9 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³).
Bahrain came in at eighth, with 49.8 10 µg/m³. Bangladesh was rated the worst at 76.9 µg/m³, followed by Chad, Pakistan, Tajikistan and India.
The readings for both Oman and Bahrain were higher than in 2020.
A score over 50 means the level of PM.25 exceeds the World Health Organisation guidelines by at least 10 times.
In September, the WHO updated the guidelines for the first time in 15 years to push countries to do more to combat the problem. The researchers behind the report used the new guidelines to return its results.
To meet WHO guidelines, the annual reading should be less than 5 µg/m³. Only three nations currently meet that, according to the IQAir study: Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and New Caledonia.
The UN body says about 80 per cent of deaths related to PM2.5 could be avoided if air pollution was brought to within the new guidelines.
“Clean air should be a fundamental human right and a necessary condition for healthy and productive societies. However, despite some improvements in air quality over the past three decades, millions of people continue to die prematurely, often affecting the most vulnerable and marginalised populations,” the WHO regional director for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge, said last year.
“We know the magnitude of the problem and we know how to solve it. These updated guidelines give policymakers solid evidence and the necessary tool to tackle this long-term health burden.”
Bad air quality kills more than million people a year worldwide, and can exacerbate symptoms of Covid-19. In 2021, a direct link was found between poor air quality and the deaths of 40,000 children.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia came 15th and 21st in the report, respectively. The report is based on PM2.5 air quality data from 6,475 cities in 117 countries, regions and territories around the world.
The readings in the Gulf are linked to “fossil fuel-based energy production, emissions from industrial processes, waste burning, construction, and motor vehicles,” the report said.
But sandstorms also play a part, the report said. Its cited research that showed a dust plume created in June 2021 by strong winds carried dust from the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley to the western coast of the Arabian Gulf.
“Dust storms are also a common source of natural air pollution in this region, especially from May to August as the temperatures rise and lead to large amounts of airborne dust,” the report read.
It wasn’t all bad news. Qatar and Kuwait achieved a nearly 15 per cent reduction in PM2.5 emissions during 2021, the report said.
Action is being taken across the Gulf to increase awareness of pollution and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Abu Dhabi’s Environment Agency has increased its air quality monitoring capacity in 2021; it now has 20 fixed monitoring stations.
It also joined the Global Air Pollution and Health Technical Advisory Group and took part in the 4th International Conference on Atmospheric Dust.
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Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
