Claim: Afghan capital’s air pollution may be even deadlier than war.
Verdict: SUPPORTS

Retrieved passages:
title: Environmental issues in Afghanistan
text: the rest of the cities’ waste, contaminating water and air with bacteria and viruses. Lack of sewage management is not unique to Kabul. In urban areas, open sewers are common while wastewater treatment is not. Much of the urban water supply is contaminated by Escherichia coli and other bacteria. Oil refineries are another source of water contamination. In Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif, crude oil spills and leaks are uncontained and unsafe levels of hydrocarbons reach residential water supplies. Air pollution does not constitute a major problem in Afghanistan, but its reliance on inexpensive energy has created some issues. Most vehicles run

title: Environmental issues in Tajikistan
text: ranking 133rd in the world in greenhouse gas emissions. Air pollution is a particular problem during times of the year when atmospheric conditions hold industrial and vehicle emissions close to the surface in urban areas. In summer, dust and sand from the deserts of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan cause air pollution across the entire southwestern lowland region. Although a destructive civil war, budget shortfalls, poverty, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union reduced industrial and agricultural activity, these issues, as well as the destruction of infrastructure and loss of Soviet programs (such as the Committee on Nature Protection, state-owned agriculture, and

title: Smog
text: in 2006 concluded that much of the city's pollution comes from surrounding cities and provinces. On average 35–60% of the ozone can be traced to sources outside the city. Shandong Province and Tianjin Municipality have a "significant influence on Beijing's air quality", partly due to the prevailing south/southeasterly flow during the summer and the mountains to the north and northwest. In 1306, concerns over air pollution were sufficient for Edward I to (briefly) ban coal fires in London. In 1661, John Evelyn's "Fumifugium" suggested burning fragrant wood instead of mineral coal, which he believed would reduce coughing. The "" the

title: Environmental issues in Afghanistan
text: on diesel fuel, and household energy often rely on burning wood and other materials. As a result, air pollution in urban areas is visible and may pose health issues. Environmental issues in Afghanistan Environmental issues in Afghanistan predate the political turmoil of the past few decades. Forests and wetlands have been depleted by centuries of grazing and farming, practices which have only increased with modern population growth. In Afghanistan, environmental conservation and economic concerns are not at odds; with 80% of the population dependent on herding or farming, the welfare of the environment is critical to the economic welfare of

title: Environmental issues in Afghanistan
text: Hamid Karzai recently announced that his administration will investigate the matter. In 2002, the United Nations Environment Programme found that a lack of waste management systems was creating dangerous conditions in several urban areas. In Kabul's districts 5 and 6, household and medical waste was discarded on streets. Human waste was contained in open sewers, which flowed into the Kabul River and contaminated the city’s drinking water. Urban dumpsites are used in lieu of managed landfills in Kabul, Kandahar and Herat, often without protection of nearby rivers and groundwater supplies. Medical waste from hospitals is disposed in the dumpsites with

title: Air pollution in Delhi
text: Air pollution in Delhi The air quality in Delhi, the capital of India, according to a WHO survey of 1600 world cities, is the worst of any major city in the world.<ref name="GARDINER HARRIS, 14/2"></ref> Air pollution in India is estimated to kill 1.5 million people every year; it is the fifth largest killer in India. India has the world's highest death rate from chronic respiratory diseases and asthma, according to the WHO. In Delhi, poor quality air irreversibly damages the lungs of 2.2 million or 50 percent of all children. Air quality index of Delhi is generally Moderate (101-200)

title: Environmental issues in Pakistan
text: Karachi, especially in the large metropolises. According to a World Bank report, "Karachi's urban air pollution is among the most severe in the world and it engenders significant damages to human health and the economy"The inefficient use of energy, an increase in the number of vehicles used daily, an increase in unregulated industrial emissions and the burning of garbage and plastic have contributed the most to air pollution in urban areas. According to a recent study, Karachi's Environment Protection Department claims that the average level of pollution in big cities is approximately four times higher than the World Health Organisation's

title: Environmental issues in Tehran
text: air pollution index of the capital as 161 which is in the red zone. Tehran sits on two major fault lines, and it has been hit by over 1000 big and small earthquakes; although, the region has not been hit by a severe earthquake in the last 150 years. The city has been rapidly growing, and many buildings have been constructed without enough earthquake readiness. This is while there has been a 90% chance of an extent 6.0 or greater earthquake in the coming decades. In 2010, the government announced that "for security and administrative reasons, the plan to move

title: Air pollution in Delhi
text: Beijing's air. As of October 2017, experts in several monitoring stations have reportedly measured an air quality index (AQI) of 999. According to said experts this is the equivalent of smoking 45 to 50 cigarettes a day. This has led to some government officials, such as Arvind Kejriwal calling the nation's capital a "gas chamber". Safe levels for PM according to the WHO's air quality guidelines are 20 μg/m (annual mean) for PM and 10 μg/m (annual mean) for PM. 2.2 million children in Delhi have irreversible lung damage due to the poor quality of the air. In addition, research

title: Tangshan
text: the area receives 2,600−2,900 hours of sunshine annually. As air pollution in China is at an all-time high, several Hebei cities are among the most polluted in the country and Tangshan has some of the worst air quality in China. Reporting on China's airpocalypse has been accompanied by what seems like a monochromatic slideshow of the country's several cities smothered in thick smog. According to a survey made by "Global voices China" in February 2013, 7 cities in Hebei including Xingtai, Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Handan, Langfang, Hengshui and Tangshan, are among China's 10 most polluted cities. Tangshan is an important heavy

title: Environmental issues in Tehran
text: single month due to the hazardous air quality. 80% of the city's pollution is due to cars. The remaining 20% is due to industrial pollution. Other estimates suggest that motorcycles alone account for 30% of air and 50% of sound pollution in Tehran. In 2007, Iran imposed fuel rations but the plan has met little success in reducing the pollution levels. In 2011, with the improvements in the public transport system and the rise in fuel prices due to the new subsidies reform plan, the government is hoping to be able to improve the problems of pollution and traffic. The

title: Environmental issues in Tehran
text: Environmental issues in Tehran Tehran, the capital city of Iran, suffers from a severe air pollution, and it is located near three major fault lines, while being the most populous region of the country. The officials have created financial incentives to encourage around 5 million citizens to leave the city. Tehran is rated as one of the world’s most polluted cities. Parts of the city are often covered by smog, making breathing difficult and causing widespread pulmonary illnesses. It is estimated that about 27 people die each day from pollution-related diseases. According to local officials, 3,600 people died in a

title: Pollution in China
text: also lead to premature death. According to the World Bank, the Chinese cities with the highest levels of particulate matter in 2004 of those studied were Tianjin, Chongqing, and Shenyang. In 2012 stricter air pollution monitoring of ozone and PM2.5 were ordered to be gradually implemented from large cities and key areas to all prefecture-level cities, and from 2015 all prefecture-level or higher cities were included. State media acknowledged the role of environmental campaigners in causing this change. On one micro-blog service, more than a million mostly positive comments were posted in less than 24 hours although some wondered if

title: Isfahan
text: reduced in recent years. However, the air quality in the city is far below world norms. Indeed, Isfahan has the highest air pollution index of all the major cities in Iran. This is thought to be partly due to its climate and geography. Main places The city centre consists of an older section revolving around the Jameh Mosque, and the Safavid expansion around Naqsh-e Jahan Square, with nearby places of worship, palaces, and bazaars. The bridges on the Zayanderud river comprise some of the finest architecture in Isfahan. The oldest bridge is the Shahrestan bridge, whose foundations were built by

title: Air pollution in Delhi
text: match Indian player Mohommad Shami also vomited. Before Shami had said that while pollution levels are a concern, Indian players are used to such conditions. In the opinion of the Indian Medical Association president the match should never have taken place and the ICC should have a policy on pollution. Air pollution in Delhi The air quality in Delhi, the capital of India, according to a WHO survey of 1600 world cities, is the worst of any major city in the world.<ref name="GARDINER HARRIS, 14/2"></ref> Air pollution in India is estimated to kill 1.5 million people every year; it is

title: Environmental issues in Pristina
text: emissions by 18 times. The emission of NO is higher in winter, where the heating process is accelerated, with February being as the peak month. The main contributor to the pollution of air with NO is Kosovo A and B power plants. Thus, NO emission is estimated to be higher in urban areas where traffic is enormous. The good side of the story is that in Pristina there is no exceed of the NO limit that would cause health problems in people’s life; however, this does not apply for other cities of Pristina. SO Annual average values of SO in

title: Environmental issues in Pristina
text: 18 times. The emission of NO2 is higher in winter, where the heating process is accelerated, with February being as the peak month. The main contributor to the pollution of air with NO2 is Kosovo A and B power plants. Thus, NO2 emission is estimated to be higher in urban areas where traffic is enormous. The good side of the story is that in Pristina there is no exceed of the NO2 limit that would cause health problems in people’s life; however, this does not apply for other cities of Pristina. CO Vehicles and fuel burning companies are the main

title: Environmental issues in Tehran
text: air pollution is due to several different reasons: However, the government is engaged in a battle to reduce air pollution. It has, for instance, encouraged taxis and buses to convert from petrol engines to engines that run on compressed natural gas. Furthermore, since 1979, the government has set up a "Traffic Zone" covering the city center during peak traffic hours. Entering and driving inside this zone is only allowed with a special permit. The government is also trying to raise people's awareness about the hazards of the pollution. One method that is currently being employed is the installation of Pollution

title: Tabriz
text: of cars in the commuting in the city and the polluting industries such as thermal power plants, petrochemical complexes and the oil refinery in the west of the city, air pollution levels increased continuously in the second half of the 20th century. With a mandate of national environmental codes by heavy industries the industrial air pollution is reduced in recent years. However the air quality in the city is far away from world norms for clean air. An immediate environmental threat is the shrinkage and drying out of the Lake Urmia located in outskirts of Western Tabriz. The lake has

title: Tehran
text: due to cars. The remaining 20% is due to industrial pollution. Other estimates suggest that motorcycles alone account for 30% of air and 50% of noise pollution in Tehran. In 2010, the government announced that "for security and administrative reasons, the plan to move the capital from Tehran has been finalized." There are plans to relocate 163 state firms and several universities from Tehran to avoid damages from a potential earthquake. The officials are engaged in a battle to reduce air pollution. It has, for instance, encouraged taxis and buses to convert from petrol engines to engines that run on