Air pollution: the invisible killer
Almost everyone on Earth — 99% of people — breathes air that exceeds WHO guidelines. Outdoor and household air pollution are linked to around 6.7 million premature deaths a year.
How this affects people
Fine particles (PM2.5) from traffic, industry, power plants, crop burning and dust penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, raising the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory illness.
Indoors, cooking and heating with solid fuels exposes billions of people — mostly women and children — to smoke every day. The burden falls overwhelmingly on low- and middle-income countries, with the greatest number of deaths in South-East Asia and the Western Pacific.
Air pollution and climate change share many sources, so cleaner energy and transport deliver both health and climate benefits at once.
Look at what keeps the problem going
- 01Burning coal, oil and gas for power, industry and transport
- 02Cooking and heating with solid fuels and kerosene
- 03Agricultural and waste burning
- 04Desert dust and wildfire smoke, amplified by climate change
What could happen next
The future leaves room for choices. Compare the outlooks, check what supports them and notice where the evidence becomes less certain
Seasonal crises continue
Winter smog episodes and wildfire smoke seasons will again push pollution to hazardous levels in many cities, with spikes in hospital admissions.
The future is not a timetable. These summaries reflect published scenarios and trends, with deeper uncertainty at longer horizons. Choices made now matter.
Where could a useful response begin?
Begin with a question you can investigate. Compare the sources and follow related briefings to see how the problem connects to other lives and places. This prototype does not accept proposals yet.
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