Air Pollution Incident in Yangon, Myanmar

Yangon, Myanmar, has been experiencing severe air pollution, with PM2.5 concentrations exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) safety standards by more than four times, and the Air Quality Index (AQI) remaining at the “red” (unhealthy) level for several consecutive days. A combination of factors—including high temperatures during the dry season (38–40°C), emissions from industrial zones, exhaust from older vehicles, smoke from cross-border crop burning, and emissions from a large number of diesel generators caused by power shortages—has created a stable pollution belt over the city, resulting in significantly reduced visibility.