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With a rising Asia comes more rapid industrialization, which in turn poses a whole host of environmental challenges for the region. As developed and developing countries alike try to find ways of tackling the growing pressures of spiraling demand for energy and goods, The Diplomat lists some of the Asia-Pacific’s greatest challenges. From often deadly Chinese coal mines to a sinking metropolis in India, we look at some of the most toxic places on earth.
China's Coal Industry
The World Bank has said that 16 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in China, with Linfen in Shanxi Province coming top of the list. The Blacksmith Institute, which produces lists of the most toxic places on Earth, says that Linfen’s 300,000 inhabitants are often left literally choking on the coal dust there, while the number of people suffering from respiratory diseases continues to grow. But with the coal industry in Shanxi still supplying the majority of the country’s energy needs, there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.
Photo: Gustavo Madico
