Chiang Mai is experiencing severe air quality concerns at the moment. The Air Quality Index (AQI) for the city on Thursday was 187, making it the worst in the world. This is an unhealthy threshold and should give locals and tourists alike cause for serious worry.
It is crucial to keep an eye on air quality levels and take preventative action when they reach dangerous thresholds. Tiny PM2.5 particles, found in high quantities in Chiang Mai, are linked to a host of health problems, including asthma, heart disease, and even cancer.
Chiang Mai’s air quality has been subpar for almost a week, negatively impacting both visitors and locals. On Wednesday, the Environmental and Pollution Control Office 1 (Chiang Mai) recorded 46 hotspots in the province, 35 of which were in forested regions; the offices in Chiang Rai, Lamphun, and Mae Hong Son all reported 81 hotspots.
Governor Nirat Pongsitthavorn has instituted measures to combat this problem, such as the distribution of PM2.5-filtering face masks and the installation of roadside emission checkpoints to reduce the spread of toxic black exhaust.
It is imperative that we put public health first and address environmental problems. Solutions to lower air pollution levels and the promotion of sustainable tourist practices that lighten the industry’s footprint on the environment are two areas where the government and other groups might collaborate.
