United News of Bangladesh

Dhaka ranked 9th among the world’s most polluted cities on Wednesday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 112 at 10:05 am. The air quality was classified as ‘Unhealthy for sensitive groups’, indicating the outdoor pollution levels are high enough to cause health effects in at-risk individuals, even though the general public remains largely unaffected, according to the AQI scale. Doha in Qatar, Lahore in Pakistan and Kinshasa in DR Congo occupied the first, second, and third spot with AQI scores of 178, 168, and 164 respectively. According to AQI standards, a reading between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151 to 200 ‘unhealthy’, 201 to 300 ‘very unhealthy’, while levels above 301 are deemed ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks. The AQI, which provides daily updates on air quality, indicates how clean or polluted the air is and highlights potential health impacts.In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, with air quality typically worsening in winter and improving during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes around seven million deaths globally each year, mainly due to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.

A seven-year climate adaptation project has strengthened the resilience of more than 7 lakh people in Bangladesh’s southwest coastal region by improving access to safe drinking water, promoting women-led climate-resilient livelihoods and enhancing institutional capacity to address climate risks. As the Gender-responsive Coastal Adaptation (GCA) Project draws to a close, government officials, development partners and community representatives have called for the initiative’s successful approaches to be sustained and replicated in other climate-vulnerable coastal areas. The call was made at the project’s “Learning Sharing and Closing Workshop” in Dhaka, where participants reviewed its achievements, lessons and pathways for sustaining the results beyond the project period, UNDP said in a media release on Tuesday. Implemented between January 2019 and June 2026, the project was financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the Department of Women Affairs and the Department of Public Health Engineering. According to project data, a total of 719,229 people in Khulna and Satkhira benefited directly and indirectly from the initiative. It helped 24,724 households adopt climate-resilient livelihood practices and provided 144,597 people with year-round access to safe and reliable drinking water. More than 15,700 climate-resilient drinking-water systems were installed, while 720 government officials received training to strengthen climate risk-informed planning and management. Additional Women and Children Affairs Secretary Mohammad Masud Rana Chowdhury underscored the importance of collective action in addressing climate challenges. “For sustainable development, we have no alternative to adopting a whole-of-society approach,” he said. Highlighting the importance of sustaining project gains, Sonali Dayaratne, deputy resident representative and officer-in-charge of the Resident Representative at UNDP Bangladesh, said the long-term impact of the initiative would depend on the continuity of its interventions. “As we reflect on the project’s accomplishments today, we must also focus on sustainability. The true measure of success will be how these interventions continue to benefit communities long after the project closes,” she said. Through salinity-tolerant agriculture, crab farming, hydroponics, homestead gardening and other climate-resilient livelihood options, participating women diversified their income sources and strengthened household food security, according to the project. Community-managed water systems also reduced reliance on unsafe water sources and eased the burden on women and girls by cutting the time spent collecting water. Participants said the project had created a strong foundation for scaling up integrated, locally led and gender-responsive climate adaptation efforts across Bangladesh’s coastal belt. Sarder M Asaduzzaman, assistant resident representative and head of Resilience and Inclusive Growth at UNDP Bangladesh; Sajal Kanti Banik, joint secretary at the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs; Md Monir Hossain, additional director; and Ehtesamul Russel Khan, additional chief engineer at the Department of Public Health Engineering, among others, spoke at the event.

Millions across France endured another night of intense heat, waking up in sweltering conditions as a severe heatwave pushed temperatures to extreme and potentially record-breaking levels across much of the country. France’s national weather agency, Meteo France, placed 54 departments—nearly half the country—under a red heatwave alert, warning that dangerously high temperatures will continue around the clock. With large parts of France lacking widespread air conditioning, the heatwave has disrupted daily life, forcing changes to school schedules, train services and sporting events. Authorities also reported around 20 drowning deaths since the weekend, as people seek relief in rivers and lakes. Meteorologists said the hot spell is expected to persist at least through the end of the week, with daytime temperatures rising above 40°C (104°F) in several areas. They warned that some locations could see record-breaking highs for any time of year. “Sunshine continues to dominate across France, maintaining oppressive and exhausting heat throughout the country,” Meteo France said, adding that the situation remains especially severe due to its early arrival in the summer season. The current heatwave has drawn comparisons with the deadly August 2003 heatwave, when an estimated 15,000 people died in France, many of them elderly residents in homes without cooling systems. The disaster later led to the introduction of France’s national heat alert system. Scientists say human-driven climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Europe, in particular, is warming at about twice the global average, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. The World Health Organization’s Europe office has warned that more than 200,000 heat-related deaths have occurred across the continent in recent years, many of which could have been prevented. Extreme heat can cause dehydration, heat exhaustion and life-threatening heatstroke. Meanwhile, neighbouring Britain is also facing severe conditions. The UK Met Office has issued an extreme heat warning for Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures expected to reach up to 39°C (102°F) in parts of the country. Officials said this month could challenge or break June temperature records before conditions ease later in the week. Experts warn that rising global temperatures are making heatwaves more frequent and intense, increasing risks of wildfires and serious health impacts across Europe.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast rains  in many places of the country in 24 hours commencing 9 am on Tuesday. According to a Met Office bulletin, light to moderate rain or thundershowers may occur at many places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions. Rains are also expected at a few places over Rajshahi and Dhaka divisions, while moderately heavy to heavy rainfall may occur at isolated locations across the country, the bulletin added. Day and night temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged over the country.

Dhaka ranked 8th among the world’s most polluted cities on Tuesday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 123 at 09:40 am. The air quality was classified as ‘Unhealthy for sensitive groups’, indicating the outdoor pollution levels are high enough to cause health effects in at-risk individuals, even though the general public remains largely unaffected, according to the AQI scale. Delhi in India, Kolkata in India, and Lahore in Pakistan occupied the first, second, and third spot with AQI scores of 178, 163, and 160 respectively. According to AQI standards, a reading between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151 to 200 ‘unhealthy’, 201 to 300 ‘very unhealthy’, while levels above 301 are deemed ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks. The AQI, which provides daily updates on air quality, indicates how clean or polluted the air is and highlights potential health impacts.In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, with air quality typically worsening in winter and improving during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes around seven million deaths globally each year, mainly due to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.

Dhaka jointly with Jakarta of Indonesia has ranked second on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality, with an identical AQI index of 167 at 8:45am on Monday. Dhaka's air was classified as “unhealthy”, according to the Air Quality Index of IQAir. India’s Delhi, Dubai of the United Arab Emirates and Tel Aviv-Yafo of Isreal occupied the first, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 253, 127 and 109, respectively. When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups”, between 150 and 200 is “unhealthy”, between 201 and 300 “very unhealthy”, while a reading of 301+ is considered “hazardous”, posing serious health risks to residents. The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.    

France is putting emergency services and military forces on wildfire alert, restricting public alcohol consumption and canceling some outdoor sports events to cope with a heat wave unfurling across parts of Europe. About a third of France is under the national weather service’s heat red alert Sunday and temperatures are high nationwide, expected to reach 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Sunday in some areas, in a country where air-conditioning isn't widespread. The forecast for Monday is even hotter. The Eiffel Tower and other Paris venues set up misting stations to cool crowds, among a raft of measures announced by national and local authorities to minimize risks. More than 200,000 people across Europe died from heat-related causes over the last four years, and most of the fatalities were preventable, the World Health Organization’s Europe office said this month. More above-average temperatures are expected this summer, which can cause heat exhaustion and life-threatening heat stroke. WHO’s Europe office called for countries and institutions to implement heat plans, such as opening cooling centers, or introducing breaks or flexible shifts that enable workers to stay out of the midday sun. In Italy, authorities expanded heat warnings — referred to locally as “red flags” — from seven to eight cities for Sunday, in northern and central parts of the country, out of the 27 monitored nationally by the health ministry. Temps in the “red” cities are mostly in the upper-30s C (high 90s to low 100s F). At one farm outside Milan, owners set up fans and sprinklers to keep cows cool. In Rome, tourists dunked their arms and occasionally their faces into the city’s famed fountain pools. France’s annual Music Day on Sunday is a particular concern for authorities. The nationwide summer solstice celebration involves thousands of concerts in village squares, rave venues and Paris clubs, bringing communities together and increasingly drawing international visitors. The government banned public drinking in ‘’red alert'' zones, and ordered organizers of music day events to limit alcohol use to “preserve emergency services and allow medics to concentrate on taking care of the most vulnerable.” Authorities are notably worried about people living in the baking streets, and elderly people in nursing homes or isolated in their homes. About 15,000 older people died in a 2003 heat wave that became a reckoning for France. The government announced Saturday reinforced wildfire readiness and ordered tightened surveillance of water supplies to France’s many nuclear reactors. Schools will only be closed as a last recourse, the government said, though end-of-year exams held in the afternoons may be delayed until the following morning or otherwise rearranged. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu convened a government heat crisis meeting on Saturday and plans another one on Sunday, in the face of what the national weather service called a “widespread, long-lasting and intense” hot spell. Lecornu ordered government ministers to plan for better adapting France to heat waves in the future, including “via air conditioning, if necessary.”      

Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds and lightning are likely in many parts of Bangladesh over the next 24 hours, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). The Met Office said rainfall is expected at many places in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, while a few places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna and Barishal divisions may also experience rain or thunderstorms. Moderately heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at places over Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions. The Met Office said the monsoon is active over the northern part of the country and fairly active elsewhere, while a trough extending from Gangetic West Bengal to the northwest Bay continues to influence the weather pattern. Day temperatures may remain nearly unchanged across the country, while night temperatures could fall slightly, the forecast added.

Bangladesh's capital Dhaka ranked 13th on the list of cities with the worst air quality on Sunday morning at 9:15am, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 92. With the score, Dhaka's air quality was classified as "moderate", indicating an acceptable level of air quality, although there may be a moderate health concern for a small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. Pakistan's Lahore topped the global list with an AQI score of 169, followed by Indonesia's Jakarta with 160 and Bahrain's Manama with 157 . An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered "moderate" with an acceptable air quality while AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, while a score between 151 and 200 is classified as ‘unhealthy’. AQI readings between 201 and 300 are termed ‘very unhealthy’, and anything above 301 is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks. The AQI is a daily indicator of air quality that informs people about how clean or polluted the air is and what associated health effects may be of concern. In Bangladesh, the AQI is determined based on five major pollutants – particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, with air quality typically deteriorating during the dry winter months and improving during the monsoon season. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes around seven million deaths globally each year, mainly from stroke, heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, ranked 12th among the world’s most polluted cities on Saturday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 88. According to the AQI scale, the city’s air quality was classified as ‘moderate’ at 09:06 am. India’s Delhi, Indonesia’s Jakarta and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first three spots on the list with AQI scores of 165, 159 and 158, respectively. An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered "moderate" with an acceptable air quality while AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, while a score between 151 and 200 is classified as ‘unhealthy’. AQI readings between 201 and 300 are termed ‘very unhealthy’, and anything above 301 is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks. The AQI is a daily indicator of air quality, showing how clean or polluted the air is and the possible health effects people may experience. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with severe air pollution. Air quality usually worsens during winter and improves in the monsoon season. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes around seven million deaths globally each year, mainly from stroke, heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.