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Smog covering Santiago, Chile with the sun high in the sky
Image: Matias Basualdo/Zuma/picture alliance Image: Matias Basualdo/Zuma/picture alliance

Smog

Technically, it's volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight. Practically, it's dirty air caused by emissions from vehicles, agriculture and industry. And smog is making us sick.

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All Content on this topic

Commuters on a street facing the smog in Delhi

India: Smog-shrouded Delhi shuts schools, construction

Offices in Delhi were advised to let 50% employees work from home, as smog continues to engulf the region.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 17, 2021
A man walks along a road on a smoggy morning in New Delhi, India

India struggles to move on from coal

Choked in toxic smog, New Delhi has partly shut down. But replacing coal will be difficult for India's booming economy.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 16, 2021
View from the Schurenbach heap on the industrial landscape Prosper, Germany

Air pollution killed over 300,000 in EU in 2019 — report

New air quality guidelines from the WHO could have saved the lives of almost 180,000 people in 2019, the EU has said.
HealthNovember 15, 2021
A View of Connaught Place cover with heavy smog and foggy weather on November 12, 2021

New Delhi closes schools for a week over smog

Crop fires and fireworks have worsened the situation in the Indian capital city, forcing schoolchildren to stay home.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 13, 2021
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India: Air pollution from annual 'stubble burning'

The annual farming pratice in Northern India has far-reaching effects.
November 12, 202103:07 min
09.2015 DW Focus on Europe (Sendungslogo)

Focus on Europe - Spotlight on People

Afghan refugees in Albania have no idea what's in store for them next.
SocietyNovember 11, 202125:59 min
A photo of a raging wildfire, with the words: Climate crisis: Who is to blame? superimposed

Can the courts save our planet?

With heir livelihoods threatened by climate change, people across Europe are increasingly calling lawmakers to account.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 7, 202117:44 min
DW Sendung Global 3000 | CO2

Is carbon capture feasible?

One way of curbing climate change could be taking CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it underground
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 5, 202104:46 min
A boy rides a bike to school amid heavy smog conditions in Lahore

Why pollution is so high in Pakistan's cities

Inadequate action to tackle the problem could prove disastrous for millions of Pakistanis, warn experts.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 1, 2021
Kenia Studierende Luftfilter

Kenya: Students make smart air purifier from bamboo

University students in Kenya have developed an indoor purifier and air monitor.
TechnologyOctober 8, 202102:05 min
Smog seen rising above residential building in Sofia, Bulgaria

WHO: Air pollution kills 7 million people a year

The UN health agency now ranks air pollution on a par with smoking or an unhealthy diet.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 22, 2021
Jakarta's smog-hidden skyline

Indonesia: Jakarta court backs residents' clean air bid

A court has ordered President Joko Widodo and other top officials to take measures to clean up their act.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 16, 2021
Eco Africa-Sendung 17.09.2021

The unbearable air pollution in Sarajevo

In the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, people with lung disease fear both smog and the coronavirus.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 16, 202103:50 min
Indonesien Jakarta | Gerichtsverhandlung Luftverschmutzung | Protest Umweltaktivisten

Indonesian government under pressure

A court in the capital Jakarta confirmed that authorities negligently handled Indonesia's air pollution problem.
PoliticsSeptember 16, 202101:37 min
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Ask Derrick

Our science correspondent looks at air pollution and COVID-19.
HealthAugust 31, 202102:17 min
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Jakarta residents fight for cleaner air

A group of Jakarta residents are trying to force the government to take action on the city's air pollution.
HealthAugust 26, 202102:35 min
DW Eco India

Forest fires and lightning strikes

Expert interview on the link between forest fires, air pollution, and lightning.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 20, 202103:21 min
Living Planet 210318 Podcast Cover

The water we drink, the air we breathe

This week on Living Planet we have stories exploring our most basic human needs — air, food and water.
Nature and EnvironmentJuly 15, 202129:59 min
DW "Unseen" Episodenbild Vietnam (Composite-Datei)

Vietnam's traffic crisis

Road traffic is increasing in cities all over the world, and threatens to suffocate them.
Cars and TransportationJuly 7, 202115:04 min
Deutschland Autobahnkreuz Kaiserberg | Spaghetti-Knoten

Just ask!

This week's viewer question comes from Modo Wright in Los Angeles.
ScienceJuly 2, 202102:05 min
A new pathway for cyclists in Belo Horizonte

Brazilian city pioneering green transport

Belo Horizonte is swapping cars for more space for cyclists and the community.
Nature and EnvironmentJune 24, 2021
A man is seen through heavy smog

World in Progress: Hidden crises

The dangers of air pollution, gang violence in Haiti and a drop in humanitarian aid — where do we go from here?
Human RightsJune 23, 202129:58 min
A boy with an oxygen mask

World in Progress: Struggling to breathe

One of the cities that's notorious for its traffic jams and bad air is Indonesia's capital Jakarta.
HealthJune 23, 202109:42 min
GLOD Indonesien Zidan

Indonesia: I can’t breathe, mom

Zidan is five years old and suffers from asthma because of poor air quality in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
BusinessJune 18, 202105:57 min
Logo "Global 3000"

Global 3000 - The Globalization Program

Smog and plastic waste: Global 3000 looks at solutions for a cleaner and healthier world. 
BusinessJune 18, 202126:01 min
DW "Unseen" Episodenbild Indonesia (Composite-Datei)

Poor air quality in Jakarta: I can’t breathe, mom

Zidan is five years old and suffers from asthma because of poor air quality in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
HealthJune 16, 202114:04 min
The Parthenon in Athens, Greece

Could an eco-friendly bacteria restore prized architecture?

With pollution and climate change accelerating the decay of limestone buildings, bacteria could provide a solution.
Nature and EnvironmentJune 14, 2021
The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

Germany broke EU law with pollution levels, top court rules

The European Court of Justice said Germany did not take "appropriate measures" to limit air pollution caused by NO2.
Law and JusticeJune 3, 2021
Children digging and planting in Leicester UK 

Tiny forests, big difference?

After gaining popularity across Asia, small, dense ecosystems are taking root in Europe's urban areas.
Nature and EnvironmentMay 25, 2021
Eco Africa - Boosting transport in Zimbabwe with recycled batteries

Boosting transport in Zimbabwe with recycled batteries

An African electric mobility company is being powered by a Berlin battery startup.
Nature and EnvironmentMay 13, 202104:49 min
USA Joe Biden - virtueller Klimagipfel

Pledges, pollution and protests

President Biden's climate pledge, protests in Serbia and a UK initiative to clean up its dirty air.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 29, 202129:59 min
A young man wearing a face mask sits on a white e-load bike in Colombia's capital Bogota

Cargo bikes for cleaner air in Bogota

Ditching trucks for electric cargo bikes could clean up Bogota’s polluted air.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 28, 2021
Kenia | Hochwasser in Kenia wegen schwerer Regenfälle

Now or never: Part 2

From species extinction to waste, land degradation to climate change and pollution, from Kenya to Australia, India, and France, this two-part special explores some of the most urgent environmental problems facing the planet — and how they might be solved. In part two, we hear about deforestation in Kashmir, puzzling water scarcity in Kenya and attempts to reduce severe air pollution in Delhi.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 8, 202129:59 min
Afrika, Kap Verde | Skelett einer unechten Karrettschildkröte

Now or never: Part 1

From species extinction to waste, land degradation to climate change and pollution, from Kenya to Australia, India, and France, this two-part special explores some of the most urgent environmental problems facing the planet — and how they might be solved. In part one, we hear about the struggle to save a native Tasmanian species from extinction, plus: French solutions to a sickening waste pile.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 1, 202129:59 min
Spanien Barcelona Flaniermeile Las Ramblas

Living on super islands

The ways we get around are changing – and that's especially true in big cities. Vehicle and bike-sharing services are booming, making it easier to leave cars at home or forego car ownership altogether. Barcelona has the highest vehicle density of any city in Europe. But it's now breaking ground on a transport and urban planning initiative that will grow its innovative public spaces for residents.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 25, 202104:51 min
Still Global 3000 | Kirgistan Smog

Smog plagues the capital of Kyrgyzstan

In the winter, Bishkek suffers terrible air pollution. One reason is that coal is used for heating.
SocietyFebruary 19, 202104:22 min
DW Sendung Eco Africa | Luftverschmutzung

Why do Africans keep migrating to cities?

Cities in Africa are growing rapidly. The consequences: pollution and deteriorating living conditions.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 19, 202103:04 min
DW's Eco Africa

Eco Africa — The Environment Magazine

This week on Eco Africa: Biking helmets made of mushrooms and getting newly hatched turtles safely into Kenya's ocean.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 12, 202126:05 min
DW Sendung Fokus Europa | Bosnien Smog

Bosnia: Sarajevo - the dirty city

In the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, people with lung disease fear both smog and the coronavirus.
SocietyFebruary 4, 202104:47 min
Eco India I Urbanization vs villages I Bangkok

How to improve public transport in Bangkok

Public transport in Bangkok is insufficient. But there's a growing number of alternatives.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 30, 202105:17 min
DW Rev Sendungslogo deutsch und englisch

REV - The Global Auto and Mobility Show

Tesla's Model X gets tested, Jordan's first female cab driver, and Manila's long road to e-mobility.
Cars and TransportationJanuary 27, 202126:06 min
Global 3000 | Global Indien Kohle

India: Fighting the dirty legacy of coal

Coal still dominates India’s energy generation, but it faces growing protests by local initiatives.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 23, 202105:28 min
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World Stories - The Week in Reports

China: Back to normal in Wuhan?, Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek choking in smog, Germany: gymnasts allege abuse
PoliticsJanuary 9, 202112:36 min
DW EcoIndia - Sendung #61 | Clean Cooking Stoves

Clean stoves for clean lungs

Cooking is a risk for rural families. The stoves pollute the air women and children breathe.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 18, 202004:25 min
Cars buses and other vehicles in heavy traffic on the A205 (the South Circular Road) in London. Undated file photo.

Air pollution death in London

Asthma patient Ella Kissi-Debrah died in 2013 partly because of London's "excessive" air pollution, a coroner found.
HealthDecember 17, 2020
An illuminated Johari Bazar on the occasion of the Diwali festival, in Jaipur, Rajasthan,India,Nov. 13, 2020

India celebrates Diwali under a cloud of coronavirus, toxic air

Millions of people across India scaled back their Diwali celebrations due to the coronavirus and rise in air pollution.
SocietyNovember 15, 202013 images
Traffic policemen with masks work on a smog-filled street in New Delhi

India: Why Delhi keeps breathing toxic air every winter

Despite numerous initiatives against air pollution over the years, the problem has persisted.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 9, 2020
Closeup of an auto tire

The microplastics invention that could help save our air

Microplastics are not just in our waters — they are also in our air. And one of the largest sources for this is tires. As vehicles drive on roads, that releases tiny plastic particles into our air, which we can then breathe in. Turns out that's a pretty serious health risk. But a startup called the Tyre Collective has a new invention that it believes will help with the microplastics problem.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 5, 202005:03 min
Air pollution in Delhi, India

Can smog towers solve Delhi's air pollution problem?

Air pollution kills more than 7 million people worldwide every year. And right at the top of the list of places with unhealthy air is Delhi, also known as "the smog capital of the world." Gigantic smog-sucking towers that clean the air are now being hailed as a new solution. But they are far from a fix-all.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 5, 202007:05 min
Eco India-Sendung DW | 06.10.2020

Butterfly garden in Delhi

Environmental project creates butterfly gardens in Delhi, giving the insects a habitat.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 5, 202006:04 min