The Ministry of Environment and Water has questioned the World Bank’s data-gathering methods after it claimed the UAE had the worst air pollution in the world.

 

The World Bank’s The Little Green Data Book gives a much higher level of particulate pollution than was reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which said the UAE had taken significant steps to improve ambient air quality.

 

“The data we measure doesn’t even reach half of what they are talking about. There is no mention of where they get their information. They never contacted us for data so those models can be based on anything”, said Fahed Hareb, director of air quality at the ministry.

 

“We are in contact with them to try to understand where they got this information.”

 

Mr. Hareb said the UAE’s high reading for particulate pollution was because of its desert climate.

 

Air is sucked through filters at quality stations, of which the UAE has 46. They collect particles smaller than a predetermined size. These are then counted and scientists use a formula to get a general idea of frequency.

 

In Europe, where those particles are usually carbon-based and harmful to people, that’s where the experiment ends. In the UAE, however, there is dust and sand kicked up by wind. Mr. Hareb said dust and sand particles trapped by filters were included in the pollution level, which was wrong.

 

The World Bank report said the UAE’s rating of 80 micrograms of pollutants per cubic meter was higher than China’s at 73 and more than double India’s at 32.

 

The country has a target of 90 per cent adherence to the WHO air quality guidelines by 2021.

 

Efforts have been made to properly monitor and regulate emission levels in the past few years.

 

The ministry has been trying to find out what kind of data-gathering model the World Bank researchers have been using.

 

 

PHOTO: Dust obscures the Burj Al Arab. Sand and dust ‘should not be included as pollution’.

CREDIT: Sarah Dea / The National.