The 2024 World Risk Poll reveals that Eastern Africa leads globally, with 41 per cent of households using open burning as their primary method of waste disposal.
This practice is also prevalent in Central/Western Africa (34 per cent) and Southeastern Asia (32 per cent).
In Southern Africa, the percentage stands at 28 per cent, while Southern Asia follows at 21 per cent.
The trend is less common in Central Asia (14 per cent), Northern Africa (8 per cent), the Middle East (7 per cent), and Latin America & the Caribbean (7 per cent).
Eastern Asia records the lowest rate, at just 3 per cent.
Open burning poses environmental and health risks, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable waste management solutions.