Toxic Smog Engulfs Cities in Bangladesh, Southeast Asia

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Facts

On Wednesday, IQAir — a Swiss organization monitoring climate issues — announced that Dhaka, Bangladesh has become the world's most polluted city reaching 325 on its index, a threshold categorized as hazardous.¹
Large fossil-fuel-burning projects that began in the spring have led to deteriorating air quality conditions. Rafiq Mondal, a Dhaka rickshaw operator said, 'We often suffer from asthma, fever, and allergies while operating...It is often very painful.'²
Locations across Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia have also seen a deterioration in air quality. Typically, the conditions that produce toxic air occur during the winter when the air is dry and combines with fossil fuel pollutants in the region; the El Niño weather pattern has reportedly exacerbated the unhealthy conditions this year.³
In response to the rise in toxic air quality, Dhaka officials are spraying city streets with water to dampen particles to aid in settling the dust on the surface.²
With several South Asian cities experiencing the same conditions for the same reasons, The World Bank has encouraged Bangladesh to work with its regional neighbors to reach a solution.¹
In November, India and Pakistan also experienced a spike in smog blanketing major urban areas. The hazardous conditions were caused by agricultural fields and crop burning combined with vehicle pollution during those incidents.⁴

Narrative A, as provided by Deccan Herald. Countries across the region are paralyzed by the deteriorating toxic and unhealthy air quality. There is a solution but to solve this crisis the nations must work together to understand the causes, develop regional policy, and develop innovative solutions. State-sanctioned responses and major regional collaboration will have to precariously balance the creation of healthy air for residents meeting the needs of the economy.
Narrative B, as provided by World Bank. While the World Bank and other bodies stress robust, regional actions to address the smog issue in South and Southeast Asia, some targeted, cost-effective programming can go a long way. For example, the development of India's National Clean Air Program increased air quality standards reduced vehicle and industrial pollution, and explored alternative energy investments while also preserving economic development. Tackling smog doesn't have to be daunting or economically stifling for the nations affected.