Why is it in the news?

• The Air Quality Report 2023 has been published by the Swiss organization IQAir.

Some of the Key findings

• India ranked third for worst air quality, following Bangladesh and Pakistan.
• New Delhi has been designated as the world’s most polluted capital city.
• Bihar’s Begusarai has gained the title of the world’s most polluted metropolitan area.
• Over 1 billion people in India are exposed to PM2.5 concentrations surpassing the WHO’s recommended levels of 5 µg/m3.
• Only seven countries have met the WHO annual PM 2.5 guideline.
• French Polynesia is recognized as the least polluted region.