Yangon - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Air quality is good during rainy season. During hot season the air quality is abysmal. Most families and schools keep kids indoors. - May 2019
This is a growing problem in Yangon. Trash burning is out of control (there was a giant landfill fire too last year), and as a result it has extremely poor air quality. There is very little public discussion, but more and more people have their own monitors. You'll want to get purifiers and limit outdoor activity on bad days; those with respiratory problems should do their research before coming here. With no government acknowledgement of the problem, it's only going to get worse as the city grows. - Mar 2019
Air quality is normally good year round, although it can get dusty towards the end of the hot season just before the monsoon rains come. Last year, the city dump caught fire and burned for several weeks. That definitely had an impact on air quality. - Sep 2018
We're coming from Beijing, so just about anything feels better. Rangoon's air quality is not great, but it's mostly manageable. During the dry season (November-February), locals burn dry vegetation, so that adds significantly to the haze. Dry season is when the air quality is most likely to have an effect on health. - Mar 2017
Moderate- in the dry season people burn trash and there are a lot of cars so usually a morning haze that burns off by mid-morning. No serious problems although some people notice the smoke more than others. - Feb 2017
Fair. The fast economic growth has added a lot of cars. It's much better than most posts in Asia. - Oct 2016
Decent - May 2016
Not one of those most polluted cities in the world, but there's certainly pollution from the heavy traffic in town (especialy from old cars and buses). From time to time there are people in your neighborhood burning trash, and you can tell from the bad smell that it's harmful to your health. This is especially obivious during dry seasons when there's no rain for a few months. The sky just looks dusty. - May 2016
Usually air quality is good, but in the evenings and during the dry season there is a lot of burning of garbage, which can be very unpleasant. - May 2016
Moderate. There is a lot of vegetation in the city to help clean the air but there are so many cars and old buses and trucks that fume out clouds of smoke. You can't travel with your window down too often. - Apr 2014
Moderate and slowly becoming unhealthy. The number of cars has increased exponentially in the past couple of years and during dry season, field and garbage burning adds to the pollution. However, on hazy mornings, you can still see a beautiful blue sky. - Feb 2014
The overall air quality is good by Asia standards, as motorbikes are outlawed in Rangoon and there isn't a lot of heavy industry. They do burn trash countrywide at dusk and dawn, and lots of cars spew black diesel fumes. I was in someone's car once with the windows down and I think it took years off my life, but otherwise you don't notice it. Beats Beijing or Bangkok by miles. - Jul 2010
