Antalya faces 204 days of polluted air in 2024

ANTALYA

The Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya experienced excessive air pollution for 204 days in 2024, far surpassing the acceptable limit.

The tourism hotspot, already grappling with shifting climate patterns, the disappearance of transitional seasons and reduced rainfall, now faces worsening air pollution, primarily owing to traffic congestion.

The data comes from an air quality monitoring station that operates year-round, confirming that for more than half of last year, the city’s air quality was unhealthy.

“Unfortunately, things are getting worse. The main reason is traffic and vehicle emissions. The air quality standards, which should only be exceeded 35 times a year, were surpassed 204 times last year," Associate Professor Güray Doğan from Akdeniz University warned.

Traffic congestion peaks during morning and evening rush hours, but even during the day, emissions from vehicles significantly lower air quality.

Statistics from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) support the findings, as they revealed that the city's registered vehicle count has increased by 500,000 over the past six years, reaching 1.5 million in January 2025.

Public transportation is another key concern. Despite the need for widespread adoption, efforts to promote its use remain insufficient, according to Doğan.

"There are no significant incentives for public transport and current efforts to expand its network are inadequate. Without serious intervention, the city’s air quality will continue to decline," Doğan emphasized.

Doğan also pointed to household heating issue as another factor, noting that the city still has not fully addressed the problem of residential heating emissions.