Dubai’s glitzy skyline was obscured by a blanket of smog rated as “unhealthy” on Sunday as thousands of delegates attended a COP28 conference dedicated to the harmful effects of air pollution.
The air quality index reached 155 micrograms per cubic metre of PM2.5 pollution — the fine particulate matter that is most harmful, as it can enter the bloodstream — according to WAQI.info, a real-time pollution tracker.
In “unhealthy” air quality, “everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects,” the website warns.
Hazy conditions have been noticeable over the first few days of the UN’s COP28, where negotiators are trying to hammer out a global agreement to reduce emissions and curb climate change.
