Dangerous air pollution in Thailand was more than ten times over permissible levels on Saturday, with the northern city of Chiang Mai topping the list of those with the worst air quality worldwide.
Due to the harmful pollution levels in the northern region, which borders Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, authorities in the province of Chiang Mai have advised citizens to work from home.
The air quality index (AQI) in the nearby province of Chiang Rai was a “hazardous” 307. According to AirVisual, an air quality information and monitoring tool, an AQI of 50 or less is regarded as good, whereas 151-200 is unhealthy.
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For months, air pollution has been suffocating parts of mainland Southeast Asia, which is made worse by periodic crop burnings. Multiple forest fires are also a problem in the area and are making things worse.
The leaders of Thailand, Laos, and Burma came together for a virtual summit on Friday, to intensify efforts to tackle the risky air quality and lessen smog and deadly PM 2.5 particles.
The meeting “exchanged information and experiences on addressing transboundary haze pollution,” while the three leaders also discussed “constructive and concrete approaches to tackle this common problem”, the Thai Foreign Ministry said in a statement released Friday night.
Story was adapted from EFE
