The Countries Where Lockdown Hasn’t Impacted Pollution

The pandemic has caused lockdown in various parts of the world. Therefore, most countries have seen a great drop in industrial activities.

This has translated into improved air quality in certain countries. However, not all of them have experienced a reduction in the level of pollution during the lockdown. Thus, Dealchecker would like to share with you the countries where lockdown hasn’t impacted pollution. The information in this piece has been extracted from credible sources.

Vietnam

In 2019, Vietnam had one of the highest pollution levels globally, but that does not seem to change even as the pandemic forces the country to reduce its industrial operations. The country has an undergoing plan to construct at least 26 coal power plants from 2020, especially after the lockdown.

The heavy use of motor vehicles is the leading cause of pollution in many parts of Vietnam. Major cities do not have public transport, which forces the workers to use private vehicles. This translates to improved levels of pollution in such areas. Over the past ten years, coal consumption has trebled, and the consumption of oil rose to at least 70%.

Bosnia Herzegovina

In the month of January, the level of pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina rose to life-threatening levels. The capital city, Sarajevo, was so bad until the Swedish embassy was forced to brand it in the category of its own. There are large coal stations in the country that emit sulphur dioxide and many other dangerous pollutants.

Due to pollution, at least 44,000 years of life expectancy is lost, more so due to nitrogen. However, the government has taken a positive initiative to ban diesel vehicles from the Sarajevo city centre and recommended that residents consider using face masks at all times. But it is important to state that the lockdown has led to a reduction in pollution from vehicles, the country is still struggling with high levels of pollution.

Kuwait

Air pollution in Kuwait is caused by factors such as construction projects, vehicles, smoke from chimneys, sand, and dust storms. Kuwait’s air has been, for a long time, regarded unhealthy by the Air Quality Index.

Since there has been a reduction in vehicle traffic during the lockdown and the construction process being brought to a halt, the air quality has increased. However, air quality is not good enough, which is why it is still one of the nations with unhealthy air during the lockdown.

United Arab Emirates

The country has always experienced heavy dust storms that swirl around in the summer with dire consequences on the air people breathe. In the summer, there has always been a high concentration of PM2.5 particles. According to some experts, the storms have silica crystals, infections, and dust mites.
The government has prohibited international organizations from grouping phenomena such as sandstorms together when calculating the levels of pollution in the country. Though lockdown has reduced air pollution levels by at least 50%, United Arab Emirates is one of the many countries with unclean air during the lockdown.

China

China has always experienced toxic smog that covers various cities in China. Though China is not one of the badly polluted countries, the most populated cities might be able to explain the reason the air quality in such regions is so bad. China is one of the countries with the highest mortality rates due to pollution.

Though the virus has helped reduce pollution levels, there is still some work to be done. NASA images on the internet manifest a reduction in levels of nitrogen dioxide in the country. The body also says that the country has done a good job of containing air pollution levels during the lockdown.

The Bottom Line

There is a lot to be said about the covid-19 pandemic lockdown, and most of them might be negative. But there is a whole different story to say when it comes to its impact on pollution in various countries. Though the nations listed above have high air pollution levels, they have recorded a high percentage of decrease in the same during the lockdown. We hope that pollution will keep dropping even when the world economy opens up one more time.