World Meteorological Organization issues worrying warning on air quality

Even regions with relatively clean air can face worsening pollution when they are exposed to frequent wildfire smoke, a World Meteorological Organization scientist warned as the agency highlighted the growing health effects of climate change.

The WMO’s annual report on air quality and climate says air pollution and climate change are closely connected and should be addressed through coordinated policies rather than separately. It warns that meeting World Health Organization air-quality guidelines will become increasingly difficult as extreme wildfires become more likely.

Wildfires are becoming a larger source of harmful air pollution even as new regulations have reduced emissions from industry and transport in many developed countries. The report gives particular attention to PM2.5, fine particles that can penetrate the lungs, and ground-level ozone, a harmful gas in the lower atmosphere. Both are associated with rising respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

The report cited research showing that extreme fires and hazardous smoke have tripled globally since the 1990s. Between 2010 and 2018, they were associated with nearly 100,000 additional deaths each year. WMO scientist Lorenzo Labrador told Reuters that wildfire particles are especially harmful because they contain many toxic chemicals, and that inhaling them can cause inflammation.

The agency is also calling for better monitoring of pollutants and aerosols, including black carbon and microplastics, whose presence in the atmosphere is widespread but poorly tracked. The report said PM2.5 concentrations in 2025 exceeded long-term averages in northern Canada, parts of Russia and west-central Africa because of increased fire activity. Northwestern Spain became a hotspot after major fires late in the summer, while extreme heat and destructive fires affected parts of Europe, including Spain, France and Greece.

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Regardless of how clean your city or region is, if you are susceptible to frequent pollution from wildfires, it can negatively affect air quality in those regions.