Why did Blacksmith Institute create the Worlds Worst Polluted Problems list?
Blacksmith has issued the Report for a number of reasons. First, it offers context and scale to the severe environmental problems faced by communities in the developing world, including those featured in our previous World’s Worst Polluted Places reports. A second reason for developing the list is to focus international awareness on pollution as an issue with a significant effect on human, especially children’s, health. Industrial pollution has been generally resolved over the past decades in industrialized countries thanks to the environmental movement, increased awareness, technological progress and economic prosperity. Despite this, toxic pollution continues to affect over a billion people in the developing world. The World Bank estimates that about 20% of the negative health impacts in developing countries can be traced to environmental factors. Other studies indicate that this number could be as high as 40%. Finally, we hope to emphasize that in many cases there are practical, pro
