No. 25: Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 46.8
Problems
with waste disposal continue to contaminate the rivers of Nigeria,
especially affecting residents in Port Harcourt. The area lacks
strategies for preventing oil spills and contamination, and the clean-up
methods after disasters require significant improvement.
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 46.6
You'll
find just about everything except marine life in New Delhi's Yamuna
River. Garbage and sewage flow freely, creating a rich environment for
the growth of water-borne diseases contributing to extremely high rates
of infant morbidity.
No. 23: Maputo, Mozambique
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 46.3
Located
on the Indian Ocean, the Eastern African country of Mozambique suffers
from lack of sanitation processes--specific ally the lack of a solid
waste removal system as well as sewage treatment. The capital city of
Maputo feels the worst of these consequences. Piles of garbage line the
streets, and the sewage in the river is visibly thick.
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 45.2
Located
on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean to its west, Luanda is the
city's largest port. Studies from several agencies, including UNICEF and
Oxfam, suggest that a large portion of the population in Luanda drink
water of poor and in some cases dangerous quality. Much of this portion
of the population lives in settlements called musseques built on
hardened waste. Water arrives to these settlements in private tanks,
which consistently show concerning levels of chlorine. Water conditions
such as this only served to intensify a cholera epidemic in 2006.
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 45
The
Niger River Basin, home to Niger's capital city, Niamey, is a cesspool
of pollution and waste. In a country with a total population just under
14 million, the healthy life expectancy at birth is 35 for males and 36
for females, thanks in part to poor sanitation and drinkable water.
About one in four children raised here will die before age 5, the World
Health Organization says.
No. 20: Nouakchott, Mauritania
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 44.7
Located
in northern Africa, Mauritania sits on the North Atlantic Ocean between
Senegal and the western Sahara. Nouakchott, the country's capital, is
located on the western coast. Due to the desert-like climate, droughts
and water management are critical issues for the country. Oil deposits
off the coast and iron ore serve as the country's main industrial
opportunities, but the majority of the population depends on farming.
No. 19: Conakry, Guinea Republic
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 44.2
Life
expectancy, infant morbidity, and the percentage of the population that
has access to safe water are shockingly low for Conakry, the capital
city of Guinea Republic. Previous World Bank initiatives in Conakry
focused on water supply and sanitation have not proved very successful.
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 44.1
Lomé,
the capital city of Togo, sits in the southwest near the country's
border with Ghana. Water and waste management has become one of the
country's main problems as a large percentage of the population
continues to live without access to improved water or sanitation.
Extensive flooding in Togo only magnifies the problem.
No. 17: Pointe Noire, Congo
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 43.8
The
second Congolese city on the list suffers from many of the same
pollutants as its neighboring city, Brazzaville- -air pollution from
vehicle emissions and unbridled water contamination from the mass
unloading of raw sewage in the city's water supply. According to the CIA
WorldFactBook, about 70% of the Congolese population live either in
Brazzaville or Pointe Noire or along the railroad track, which connects
the two.
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 43.7
Bamako,
the capital of Mali, and the country's largest city is situated on the
Niger River. Rapid population growth, coupled with unbridled urban
pollution, are among the many health and sanitation challenges facing
the capital. Several droughts have caused migration from rural areas to
the urban environment of the capital, which has only led to more water
management issues.
No. 15: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 43.4
A
recent World Bank study shows that cancer and respiratory disease rates
are up due to increased air pollution in Ouagadougou, the capital of
Burkina Faso. Increased levels of benzene, from motorbike petrol, and
increased dust particles, amounting on average to nearly three times the
WHO-stated healthy limit, contribute to these rising numbers. In a city
characterized by a rainy season, waste management and sanitation also
face challenges.
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 43.2
In
a city where you can pay $3,000 a month for an apartment that doesn't
even have clean running water, Moscow also has troubling levels of air
pollution, which present a daily strain on lung health.
No. 13: Bangui, Central African Republic
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 42.1
Bangui,
the capital of Central African Republic, faces water and sanitation
challenges similar to its neighboring countries' capitals. A rapidly
increasing population, coupled with a lack of adequate waste and water
management, places stresses on the capital city.
No. 12: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 40.4
The
capital of this east African country continues to grow populationwise,
putting a stress on the city's sanitation programs. Solid waste,
entering the Msimbazi River, contributes to widely spread infectious
diseases among the population..
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 39.7
Ndjamena,
the capital city of Chad, faces multi-faceted water management
challenges. A main site for concern here is the Conventional Basin of
Lake Chad, upon which the country's main fisheries greatly depend. Also
noteworthy-- the continual influx of population growth, accelerated by
the migration of neighboring Sudanese refugees from Darfur, which places
an unexpected strain on water management.
No. 10: Brazzaville, Congo
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 39.1
Air
pollution from emissions, lack of potable water and the contamination
of the city's water from raw sewage contribute to the laundry list of
health and sanitation concerns for Brazzaville, the capital of Congo.
Each of these press upon the life expectancy of the local population.
No. 9: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 39.1
The
marriage of petroleum-based industry and insufficient safeguards
against pollution sets the stage for an environmental crisis in this
city. Toxic waste dumps require a huge price tag for improvement and an
even larger price for neglect.
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 39
Poor
water quality in Baghdad threatens to exacerbate the the transmission
of water-borne diseases in the city. Fatal outbreaks of cholera struck
several provinces of the country, including Baghdad from August 2007 to
December 2007. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) also says
air pollution, resulting from burning oil and aggravated by war, is
cause for concern.
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 38.2
India's
government hopes to transform Mumbai back into a burgeoning metropolis
after recent economic decline. A recent private-sector report, Vision
Mumbai, proposed changes in infrastructure, pollution control and
economic growth strategy, which contributed to the seeking of
approximately $1 billion of aid from Indian government.
No. 6: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 37.9
Addis
Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, faces one of the worst sanitation
problems on both the continent of Africa as well as in the world. The
lack of adequate sanitation programs results in infant mortality, low
life expectancy and the transmission of water-borne diseases.
No. 5: Mexico City, Mexico
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 37.7
Mexico
City, the capital of Mexico, and the capital of North American air
pollution, estimates unhealthy ozone emissions nearly 85% of the year.
Mexico's geographical location--in the center of a volcanic crater and
surrounded by mountains--only serves to lock in the air pollution,
causing smog to sit above the city.
No. 4: Port au Prince, Haiti
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 34
The
country's politically inspired violence and corruption are well
documented. Equally dangerous: its air and water. Serving as one of the
main ports on the island of Hispaniola, Port au Prince is central to
Haiti's economic development. A lack of pollution controls, however,
contributes to the widespread environmental problems confronting the
Haitian city.
No. 3: Antananarivo, Madagascar
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 30.1
Madagascar,
located off of the southeastern coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean,
makes this year's list with its capital city, Antananarivo. Well known
for its variety of unique flora and fauna, Madagascar has often been
referred to as the world's eighth continent, but the effects of the
human population are quickly leaving their footprint.
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 29.6
Located
in southern Asia, between Burma and India, Dhaka, the capital of
Bangladesh battles with the constant threat of water pollution. Surface
water is often thick with disease and pollutants from the use of
commercial pesticides. With an estimated 150 million people living in a
relatively small area, cleaning up the problem won't be easy. (http://mezemeze.co.cc)
Mercer Health and Sanitation Index Score: 27.6
Surrounded
by Iran, Georgia, Russia and Armenia on the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan has
long been an oil hub. As a consequence, Baku, the capital, suffers from
life-threatening levels of air pollution emitted from oil drilling and
shipping.
http://hassam.hubpages.com/hub/25-Most-Dirtiest-Cities-In-The-Worl
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