Air Pollution Continues to Worsen in Kathmandu, Nepal

On April 1, the Kathmandu Valley became the world’s most polluted city for the second consecutive day, with PM2.5 concentrations exceeding 200; local flights were forced to hover for nearly an hour before landing due to poor visibility. Sources of pollution include hill fires in neighboring forests, straw burning, brick kiln production and vehicle exhaust. Although the government launched the Air Quality Management Action Plan as early as 2019, its implementation has been limited. Meteorologists noted that the continuous absence of precipitation has exacerbated the pollution, and stronger winds are expected to ease some of the pressure in the coming days.