The current environmental situation in the world leaves much to be desired. First of all, this applies to large cities with a population of millions and developed industry. In this article we will tell you about the cleanest cities in the world. However, we warn you: after reading this material, you will probably want to change your place of permanent residence.

An ideal city: what should it be like?

Beauty will save the world - says the famous saying. But cleanliness will make it even more beautiful. Living in the cleanest city in the world is both pleasant and honorable. After all, walking along well-kept green streets is much better than inhaling tons of exhaust fumes and dust. In addition, the health of the citizens themselves largely depends on the cleanliness of the air and the quality of water.

It's important to note that clean city- this is not just a settlement with green spaces, a well-functioning street cleaning system and well-groomed building facades. Indeed, in our time, the protection factor comes to the fore environment, namely - atmospheric air, soil and water.

Based on this, an environmentally friendly city is a settlement where, first of all, they monitor emissions into the atmosphere, efficiently clean industrial and municipal wastewater, and implement Newest technologies for waste recycling, etc. Let's list the most significant criteria for such a city. This:

• Availability and quality of drinking water.
• Emphasis on the use of renewable energy sources.
• Availability of a clear mechanism for sorting and processing garbage and household waste.
• Purity of atmospheric air and soil cover.
• Condition and reliability of sewer systems.
• Well-functioning urban transport.
• Level of development of cycling infrastructure.

American, Canadian, Australian and, of course, European cities most often claim the title of “cleanest”. What kind of settlements are these - read on.

Eco-friendly cities: top 10

At the beginning of 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) compiled a ranking of the cleanest cities on the planet. It was published in the famous British newspaper The Telegraph. There were six in the top ten of this rating European cities. When forming it, experts were based on indicators of air pollution.

The “top” list of clean cities in the world looks like this:

1. Stockholm, Sweden).
2. Wellington (New Zealand).
3. Canberra (Australia).
4. Ottawa (Canada).
5. Edinburgh (Scotland).
6. Montevideo (Uruguay).
7. Tallinn (Estonia).
8. Helsinki (Finland).
9. Monaco (Principality of Monaco).
10. Madrid, Spain).

According to the WHO rating, the largest Asian capitals were recognized as the dirtiest cities on the planet: New Delhi, Doha and Riyadh.

Stockholm is the cleanest city in the world

The Swedish capital is considered one of the greenest in Europe. About a third of the city area is occupied by green spaces - parks, squares, gardens and other tree plantings. In addition, Stockholm is famous for its household waste disposal system. In particular, biological fuel is produced from them.

Every year the city reduces greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere (since 1990, total emissions have decreased by a quarter). Local authorities in Stockholm care about more than just clean air. The city has an excellent public transport system. Plus, Stockholm boasts excellent cycling infrastructure. There are about one hundred bicycle rental stations constantly operating in the city.

Wellington

Wellington is the second cleanest city according to the World Health Organization. The capital of New Zealand, thanks to its ideal cleanliness, favorable environmental situation, beautiful natural landscapes and abundance of architectural attractions, attracts a huge number of tourists (about 3.5 million per year).

In terms of air quality, energy savings, and comprehensiveness of waste recycling, Wellington ranks among the first in the world. Well-kept streets, an abundance of green areas and beaches make this city one of the most attractive places to live.

Copenhagen

It is impossible not to mention in our article the Danish capital. Copenhagen is the most bike-friendly city in Europe. Every second resident regularly travels on a two-wheeled vehicle. Thanks to this, Copenhagen is famous for its unusually low levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Another “trick” of this city is the construction of energy-efficient residential buildings. Local authorities are doing their best to encourage residents to install high-quality windows and modern systems heating. Much attention is also paid to the development of wind energy. Among other things, Copenhagen leads Europe in the number of so-called “green” (environmentally friendly) hotels.

Helsinki

One of the friendliest, safest and cleanest capitals in the world is Helsinki. It is the most important scientific, cultural and educational center in Northern Europe. The city of Helsinki itself is located on more than 300 islands. Its residents, like true representatives of Scandinavia, also love to get around by bicycle or on foot.

The City of Helsinki has an effective program to protect the natural environment and natural resources. Waste recycling here is organized at the highest level. The plans of local authorities include the construction of a complex of wind power plants that could fully meet the electricity needs of the Finnish capital.

Calgary

Canadians are world-renowned cleanliness advocates and healthy image life. The environmental situation in this country is closely monitored in all cities. We should also talk about Calgary and Vancouver.

The city of Calgary is located in the southwestern part of Canada, within the province of Alberta. He was incredibly lucky with the landscapes: just beyond his borders are the grasslands and foothills of the picturesque Rocky Mountains. Calgary has many green areas, in particular, Nose Hill is Canada's largest urban park.

In 2010, Calgary was awarded the title of the cleanest city in the world (according to Mercer Human). In particular, an almost complete absence of transport problems was noted in the metropolis with a population of about 1.2 million people. The most surprising thing is that the city of Calgary is home to a large number of “dirty” natural gas production and processing enterprises. But thanks to an effective environmental program, the authorities managed to protect its residents from harmful emissions into the atmosphere.

Calgary has very high fines for pollution. Thus, a cigarette butt thrown onto the lawn can cost the offender one thousand dollars.

Vancouver

Vancouver is another Canadian city that cares about the environment. It meets over 90% of its electricity needs from hydroelectric power plants. Vancouver has set itself an ambitious goal - to become the greenest city in the world by 2020. To achieve this noble goal, a special GCAT structure was even created. Every year the number of electric vehicles in the city increases, the quality of drinking water improves, and a huge number of young trees are planted.

Kobe

The Japanese approach any issue with the utmost seriousness and scrupulousness. Including environmental issues. The city of Kobe is a large industrial center and an important trading port in Japan. One of the most efficient sewage treatment systems in the world operates here. City authorities are investing enormous amounts of money in the development of public transport and encouraging the purchase of hybrid cars. The result of all these actions is clean water and clean air, despite the abundance of industrial enterprises located in Kobe.

Minneapolis

Next up is the American city of Minneapolis, the largest in the state of Minnesota. It is located on the banks of the Mississippi River, sacred to all Americans. Minneapolis is famous for its large number of recycling facilities. Almost everything is processed here - from plastic bottles to batteries and lamps. The city regularly implements various environmental programs, and bicycle transport is developed and popularized.

Amatciems

And again we return to Europe, or rather to Latvia. Here, in the vicinity of Cesis, there is a unique town with an area of ​​300 hectares. It was founded by a Latvian millionaire obsessed with the ideas of a clean ecological environment.

On the territory of Amatciems there are three hundred houses built of wood. Each household is assigned a small plot of land with a lake and forest. Each of the houses is heated using a special geothermal pump, which converts the internal energy of the Earth into heat.

The town was built in a hilly area, so from the windows of one house you can see absolutely nothing except the greenery of the surrounding meadows and forests. There are no fences or barriers here. Therefore, roe deer and other forest animals often come into the city. By the way, many architects have already called Amatciems the city of the future.

The cleanest and dirtiest cities in Russia

The Ministry of Natural Resources, together with the All-Russian Popular Front, has determined the cleanest cities in Russia (based on the environmental situation). The rating was compiled in November 2017. Three cities became its leaders: Naberezhnye Chelny (first place), Kazan and Voronezh.

The assessment was carried out using several indicators at once. In particular, they took into account the quality of drinking water, the volume of energy consumption, as well as work in the field of environmental protection. In total, 103 settlements with a population of over 100 thousand inhabitants were assessed.

Moscow took only 16th place in this ranking, St. Petersburg - 26th. Blagoveshchensk, Kaliningrad, Cherepovets, Ivanovo and Magnitogorsk were among the dirtiest cities in Russia. By the way, the local authorities of these settlements did not fully provide the department with the necessary information. In this regard, ministry experts suggest that the real environmental situation in the above cities could be even worse.

The main reason for those wishing to move to the Moscow region is a more favorable environmental situation.

According to statistics for 2015, the outsider cities in the Moscow region in terms of cleanliness, order and improvement were Klimovsk and Serpukhov, with Balashikha in third place (although it works, for example, very effectively). But today we will talk not about antiheroes, but about heroes. Collecting information about the level of environmental pollution, we conducted a comparative analysis of the most environmentally friendly cities in the Moscow region and compiled a small rating. So, let's begin.

The top of our ranking is headed by Odintsovo. The city, with its biological and landscape diversity, has the ability to restore the ecosystem. The abundance of forests also characterizes it in terms of environmental well-being. There are also many sanatoriums where residents of the capital and Moscow region come to improve their health by taking sodium chloride brine baths, as well as by drinking water, thanks to the sulfate-magnesium-calcium composition of the water, which gives healing and restorative properties.

Next on our list of environmentally friendly cities in the Moscow region, let’s pay attention to Korolev. Despite the fact that it is a large research and production center in the region, this factor does not have a significant impact on the environment. More than a third of Korolev’s territory is occupied by squares, parks and green spaces. A significant part of the city is given over to dacha construction with an already established landscaping complex. The wastewater treatment plants of enterprises do an excellent job of filtering industrial wastewater, so the results of studying the chemical composition of water do not cause concern. A comprehensive system of measures to prevent environmental crisis situations has been established in Korolev.

Top 3 environmentally friendly cities in the Moscow region are closing Domodedovo. A city with a favorable environmental situation. Forest park area surrounds it on almost all sides. A significant area in Domodedovo is occupied by the Podmoskovye sanatorium and the Bor health complex. There is also a forest park and a pine forest here. A fairly large part of the land within the city is given over to holiday homes. The original landscape, located on the hills, makes Domodedovo even more attractive.

Klimovsk near Moscow continues our rating. The small town is located on the watershed of the Rozhai and Mochi rivers. The dam on the Petritsa River, which flows through the entire city, forms a large reservoir with a city beach. In Klimovsk, projects have been developed aimed at raising the environmental awareness of citizens with calls for cleanliness.

Fifth place goes to Golitsyno, located 20 km from Moscow. Being an ecologically clean area, the city is framed by forests and decorated with a cascade of picturesque ponds. Due to the gradual commissioning of new housing, the influx of population from other regions of the country is increasing in Golitsyno. This is facilitated by the implementation of scientific projects in the field of healthcare.

Krasnogorsk, which has preserved a significant part of its forests, can be called a kind of Switzerland near Moscow. Most of the territories are occupied by parks, squares and gardens. The city's forest parks are a kind of system of oases of the metropolitan metropolis. The local movement of nature lovers is doing everything possible to preserve the diversity of flora and fauna of Krasnogorsk and the region as a whole. Also, the city continues to develop programs to clean up water bodies.

The cleanest country in the world is Switzerland- a leading state in solving issues of environmental pollution control and problems with natural resources. The dirtiest country on the planet - Iraq. But this is only based on the state of the environment today. In the ranking of trends in the development of the environmental situation over the past 10 years, it occupies a shameful last place Russia. While the leading country in terms of environmental improvement from 2000 to 2010 is Latvia. The ranking of the cleanest and dirtiest countries in the world indicating the well-being index of environmental trends in 2012 was Yale and Columbia Universities.

Top ten environmentally friendly countries included, in addition to Switzerland, which took first place, small states and major European powers: Latvia (2nd place), Norway (3rd place), Luxembourg (4th place), Costa Rica (5th place), France (6th place), Austria (7th place), Italy (8th place), Great Britain and Northern Ireland (9th place), Sweden (10th place). The ranking once again demonstrated the difference between the ecology of developed and developing countries (5th place for Costa Rica and 49th place for the USA - an exception to the rule). However, according to Western experts, the point is not at all that the largest European powers are transferring all their harmful production to the poor countries of the world. The point is the size of GDP per capita, as well as investments in basic environmental benefits (people's access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation). Developing countries are still on the path to ensuring a high standard of living for their people, as well as moving towards more sustainable production and consumption processes.

To the top ten countries with the worst environment , in addition to Iraq, which took last place, included: Turkmenistan (131st place), Uzbekistan (130th place), Kazakhstan (129th place), South Africa (128th place), Yemen (127th place), Kuwait (126th place), India (125th place) , Bosnia and Herzegovina (124th place), Libya (123rd place). The greatest concern among health experts is the environmental situation in China (116th place) and India, since 1/3 of the planet's population lives in these countries. Already, air pollution in the Middle Kingdom is the biggest threat to the health of its residents. As the English newspaper writes The Guardian, « incidence of lung cancer in Chinese cities in 2-3 times higher than in rural areas, despite the fact that smoking is the same in both places" Health experts predict that by 2050, air pollution will kill every year. 3.6 million Human. And most of these deaths will occur in India and China.

6 of the dirtiest countries in the world are also included in the Top 10 countries with extremely negative environmental trends (right column in the general table). The worst results in changing the environmental situation from 2000 to 2010, as mentioned above, were shown by Russia. Kuwait is in second place on this black list, and third is Saudi Arabia, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Iraq, South Africa, and Turkmenistan closes the top ten outsiders. According to the conclusion of Western experts, Russia has demonstrated the worst trends in changes in the environmental situation due to critically low indicators in the field of environmental protection. The population of the Russian Federation enjoys weak environmental legislation in the country, which results in problems such as fishing and deforestation exceeding all permissible norms. The only environmental indicator that has improved in Russia over the past 10 years is the volume of sulfur dioxide emissions. Oddly enough, it has shrunk.

The situation of our country and the nine countries that have joined it looks especially sad compared to the rest of the ranking participants. The vast majority of states improved their environmental performance over the period from 2000 to 2010. Top Trends showed Latvia, Azerbaijan in second place, Romania in third, followed by Albania, Egypt, Angola, Slovakia, Ireland, Belgium and Thailand.

Each of the 132 countries participating in the rating was assessed by 22 parameters, including: the harmful effects of the environment on public health, the impact of polluted air and polluted water on human health, the impact of polluted atmosphere and water resources on ecosystems, the state of forests, the scale of fishing and agriculture, climate change and much more.

Ecological card of Russia:

Ecological card of Ukraine:

Ecological card of Belarus:

Ecological card of Kazakhstan:

Ecological card of Moldova:

Many of our compatriots are thinking about where they can move to live within the country. Ratings demonstrating the advantages and disadvantages of individual cities can help them make their choice. How are they compiled? What is taken into account? Which Russian cities occupy the top rankings in certain categories?

Features of cities and regions of Russia

Environmental, climatic and economic conditions in different parts of our country differ markedly. How to determine which Russian cities and regions are favorable for moving to permanent residence? Based on public opinion polls and statistical data, ratings are compiled that should help understand this issue. Many media outlets are engaged in such research, but the most respected are the ratings compiled by such organizations as the Department of Sociology of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation and the Center for Strategic Research of the Rosgosstrakh company. The data source is federal Service state statistics. There are many criteria by which the situation in each city and region is assessed.

Where is the best place to move to live if the environmental factor is important to you?

Human health largely depends on the state of the environment. Toxic waste pollutes air, water and soil can cause serious illness and even premature death. The presence of environmental problems is especially dangerous for pregnant women and children. Various congenital pathologies are the result of exposure to toxic emissions on the human body.

There are three factors that determine the state of the environment:

• industrial waste;
• car exhaust gases;
• geographical location.

Enterprises in industrial cities and a large number of transport in megacities are the main sources of pollution.

1. In addition, the concentration of toxic substances depends on geographic location. If a city is located between hills, air currents do not blow its territory well enough. In this case, the concentration of harmful emissions increases many times over.
2. Pskov;
3. Smolensk;
4. Murmansk;
5. Nizhnevartovsk;

Sochi.

The air is fresh, the city is small and therefore not very polluted. If you are tired of the city bustle, gases and cars, then I suggest going to Pskov.

http://otzovik.com/review_2344826.html

It is also worth paying attention to the opposite rating, which determines the most environmentally polluted cities in Russia. When choosing a place for permanent residence, it is important to know in which cities the difficult environmental situation poses the greatest health risk. The environmental anti-rating is as follows:

1. Norilsk;
2. Moscow;
3. Saint Petersburg;
4. Cherepovets (Vologda region);
5. Asbestos (Sverdlovsk region).

It is easy to notice that this list includes megacities and cities where large industrial enterprises are located. For example, the Severstal metallurgical plant is located in Cherepovets.

Medical service

An integral part of a full life is the opportunity to receive quality medical services. Life expectancy directly depends on this factor. Assessment of the level of medical care is based on surveys of residents: how satisfied they are with the accessibility and professionalism of treatment.

1. Moscow;
2. Saint Petersburg;
3. Additional indicators include the mortality rate among people of retirement age and the percentage of people with incomes below the average who seek paid medical services. Rating of Russian cities with the highest level of healthcare:
4. Naberezhnye Chelny;

Tyumen. It is important to remember that cardiac problems are a common cause of disability and premature death. Timely diagnosis and highly professional treatment can stop the development process cardiovascular diseases

. People suffering from such ailments should pay attention to the availability of cardiology clinics in the city or region to which they plan to move. These medical institutions must meet modern standards. A large number of clinics providing high-quality treatment for vascular and heart diseases are concentrated in Moscow, however, there are also high-tech cardio centers in other Russian cities.

For example, the Tyumen Cardiology Research Center, the Novosibirsk Research Institute of Circulatory Pathology named after Academician E.N. Meshalkin and the Research Institute of Cardiology named after V.A. Almazov in St. Petersburg. Standard of living in 2018:

1. Yamalo-Nenets autonomous region(RUB 73,091.7);
2. Moscow (RUB 70,220.8);
3. Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug (RUB 64,097.55);
4. Nenets Autonomous Okrug (RUB 61,592.85);
5. Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (58,063.5 rubles).

It is worth noting that in regions rich in hydrocarbon reserves, it is not only oil and gas industry workers who receive high wages. For example, in Yamalo-Nenets, which ranks first in the rating, Autonomous Okrug The average monthly income of a school teacher is about 60 thousand rubles.

The leaders of the all-Russian list simultaneously top the income level ratings in the Central, Ural, Northwestern and Far Eastern federal districts. To complete the picture, it is worth comparing the average earnings of residents in federal districts:

1. Central federal district(45312.3 rub.);
2. Northwestern, Ural, Far Eastern federal districts (40,530.6 rubles);
3. Siberian Federal District (RUB 31,081.05);
4. Southern, Volga federal districts (25957.8 rubles).

Average value wages characterizes only one aspect of living standards. Another important aspect that should not be overlooked is the cost of living and price levels. An indicator such as housing affordability will help to understand this issue. Rating of cities with the highest price of 1 square meter of housing:

1. Moscow (RUR 202,269);
2. St. Petersburg (RUB 110,114);
3. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (RUB 104,319);
4. Vladivostok (RUR 97,576);
5. Sochi (RUR 95,467).

For comparison, it’s worth checking out the list of cities with the lowest cost of 1 square meter of housing:

1. Nizhnekamsk (RUR 33,501);
2. Novokuznetsk (RUR 33,935);
3. Biysk (RUR 34,558);
4. Rybinsk (RUR 36,470);
5. Cherepovets (RUR 36,806).

Settlements with affordable prices for housing are mainly located in the Volga region, the Southern Urals and the Siberian Federal District.

Climate

Which climatic conditions are considered the most favorable for human health and functioning? Positive factors include minor day-to-day fluctuations in air temperature and the absence of sudden changes in atmospheric pressure. To strengthen the immune system, the human body needs to receive a lot of ultraviolet radiation, this is especially important for children. Therefore, a large number of sunny days a year has a positive effect on people's health.

Taking into account the listed criteria, the most comfortable climatic zones for living are the Azov, Black Sea and Caspian coasts.

• The following cities are located in these zones:
• Krasnodar;
• Sevastopol;
• Astrakhan;
• Nizhnevartovsk;

Have you ever been to Sochi?! Wonderful place. Six months of summer, six months of off-season - green winter. She moved three years ago from Siberia. The climate is excellent, humid and hot for a maximum of two weeks in August.

Guest

http://www.woman.ru/rest/medley8/thread/4534455/

Weather-sensitive people should carefully choose a region for permanent residence. Their health deteriorates not only from magnetic storms. It is affected by sudden changes in air temperature and atmospheric pressure. Day-to-day temperature fluctuations of up to 1–2 o C are considered safe for people suffering from weather dependence. In the regions listed above, this indicator is kept within these limits.

Employment

For people of working age, the prospect of getting a job in the city they choose to move to is critical. The employment potential of a city or region can be analyzed using several indicators. First of all, you need to find out what kind of competition exists in the local labor market. The number of applicants per vacancy is an indicator showing how high the competition is among applicants for a job.

1. You should also take into account the number of unemployed people in a given city and the percentage of its residents who want to move to another region for the purpose of employment. All these criteria together will help determine how attractive and promising a given city is for migrants seeking to find work.
2. Ryazan;
3. Vologda;
4. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk;
5. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky;

Vladivostok.

The best cities to live in Russia

If you are planning to move to a new place for a long time or permanently, it is wise to choose a sustainable and promising city. Many Russian cities have serious development potential and show promise for the future.

Kazan

This Volga region city is one of the largest tourist centers in Russia. It attracts about a million tourists every year. The city's industry includes large chemical and aviation enterprises. Kazan is the leader in the volume of housing construction in the Volga region.

Krasnoyarsk

The largest economic, educational and sports center of Central and Eastern Siberia. Multiple winner of the competition “The most comfortable city in Russia.” One of the most attractive Russian cities for investment. The leading sectors of the economy of Krasnoyarsk are non-ferrous metallurgy and mechanical engineering. The population is growing constantly and at a rapid pace.

The capital of the most economically powerful region in southern Russia. Krasnodar has repeatedly topped the ratings of the most favorable Russian cities for doing business. The industrial potential of the region successfully attracts domestic and foreign investors. The industrial complex of Krasnodar consists of many enterprises that employ about a third of the working population. In addition, Krasnodar is an important transport hub.

Video: Krasnodar is one of the most promising cities in Russia

Novosibirsk

The Trans-Siberian Railway passes through Novosibirsk. This city has the largest logistics complex in Siberia. Its economy has a number of important advantages: diversified industry, development of the service sector, transport, logistics and science, and the presence of a large number of small and medium-sized businesses. The population of Novosibirsk is growing thanks to migrants from other Russian regions and CIS countries.

Crime level

The complex criminal situation makes the city unattractive for migrants, even if by other criteria it boasts high scores. The desire to live in a safe place, where the likelihood of becoming a victim of criminals is low, often outweighs other arguments in favor of choosing a particular locality. There is a simple way to assess the crime rate - statistical data on the number of crimes committed per 1 thousand inhabitants.

1. The safest cities in Russia according to this criterion:
2. Ryazan (7.8);
3. Ulyanovsk (11.3);
4. Voronezh (11.5);
5. St. Petersburg (12.0);

Penza (12.9).

1. It is also worth paying attention to the sad list of the most criminal cities in the Russian Federation. Comparing a positive rating with a negative one shows how much crime levels differ in different cities and regions.
2. Kemerovo (32.2);
3. Kurgan (31.9);
4. Tyumen (30.7);
5. Nizhny Novgorod (27.7);

Samara (24.3).

Child development

1. When choosing a permanent place of residence, families with children should give preference to environmentally friendly cities with high quality medical care. It is also worth inquiring about the availability of educational, sports and entertainment facilities. Cities that have a large number of such institutions and create conditions for the comprehensive development and education of children:
2. Kazan;
3. Belgorod;
4. Rostov-on-Don;
5. Kaliningrad;

If you are moving with small children, it is advisable to avoid sudden climate changes. If the climatic conditions at the new place of residence and the previous one are not too different, it will be easier for the child’s body to cope with the move.

Kudos

Undoubtedly, the most prestigious city in Russia is its capital. Many Russians flock to Moscow, hoping to realize their potential there. But we must take into account that other large Russian millionaire cities are gradually developing, improving and today are not much inferior to Moscow. Among them, it is worth highlighting St. Petersburg, which is often called the cultural capital of Russia.

It is impossible to single out one city or region that meets all the requirements at the same time. For example, a city with a high average monthly salary may be environmentally unfavorable, so the choice of each migrant depends on personal preferences and life circumstances.

Cleanliness is the key to health. We all heard this phrase in childhood and diligently washed our hands with soap. Then we grew up and began to teach our children to live in cleanliness and order. What about our cities? Why do we treat them so negligently and pollute the environment without even thinking about the consequences? As it turns out, the best one in the world is not so easy to choose. Unfortunately, the consciousness and level of development of human civilization have not yet reached the limit beyond which total concern for the preservation of the environment begins.

Pollution: the scourge of the 21st century

Just a couple of centuries ago, people did not think about environmental pollution. Almost the entire population of the world lived in rural areas, and life in cities was the lot of a few who wanted to be at the center of events and world news. But literally in a hundred years everything has changed in the most dramatic way - technological progress has led to the fact that more than seventy percent of the planet’s inhabitants have chosen cities as their place of residence.

This has led to increased pressure on these areas. What do we associate a big city with? Of course, with smoking chimneys of factories, dirt on the streets, unpleasant odors and eternal grayness. It's an unpleasant picture, isn't it? But this is how most of us live. Although in last years The trend towards caring for the environment is beginning to gain momentum and is gradually taking over many cities around the world. Unfortunately, it is still too early to talk about the widespread nature of this phenomenon. But if you look at the list of the cleanest cities in the world, you will see that it is still possible to live clean. The population of such cities says that it is necessary to start changes with themselves.

Classification of cities

First of all, all cities in the world can be divided into four categories:

• Group 1 - the city administration does everything to stabilize the environment and develops a responsible attitude towards the environment among citizens.
• Group 2 - the environmental situation in these cities is extremely difficult, but the administration is coming to understand the need to take urgent measures to save the city’s ecology.
• Group 3 - these cities do not have a polluting industry, so the population and treatment plants contribute to the deterioration of the environmental situation.
• Group 4 - the most polluted cities that do not have budgetary funds to create environmentally oriented programs.

Of course, it is difficult to determine which is the best in the world among settlements with such different levels of pollution, but for this there are world standards for the environmental situation of cities.

Clean city: evaluation criteria

To choose the cleanest city in the world, you must first compile a list of evaluation criteria by which the study will be conducted. What is included in the concept of a clean city? On what points should the cleanliness of cities be assessed, since they all have different levels of pollution and industrial potential?

Most often, six characteristics are involved in assessing the state of the environment of a locality, which allows choosing the most environmentally friendly cities in the world. We will now list them:

• the number of green areas in proportion to the city area;
• the presence of a program for recycling household waste and the percentage of this recycling to the total amount of waste in the city;
• air quality (determined by samples);
• water quality (also determined by samples);
• percentage of budget funds allocated for the implementation of environmental programs;
• participation of citizens in maintaining the cleanliness of the city.

According to all these characteristics, we are ready to present to your attention the top cleanest cities in the world.

Top 5 tourist centers

Probably every tourist would like to see the cleanest city in the world and spend a vacation in it. Therefore, we decided to compile a list of the most environmentally friendly and popular tourist cities:

1. Singapore.

The cleanliness of this city delights many tourists. Severe fines have been introduced here for smoking in public places or throwing candy wrappers on the asphalt. The average fine is approximately $500. This system turned out to be very effective; over time, the townspeople learned not to litter and actively maintain the cleanliness of their beloved city.

The capital of Austria, even at first glance, looks very clean and well-groomed. The city's population is proud of its historical heritage and tries to preserve the unique city for its descendants.

3. Dresden.

This amazing city is not only a cultural, but also an industrial center. But its cleanliness is simply legendary; German pedantry made the city literally ideal. Here it is impossible to find garbage on the streets or see smoke from factory chimneys.

4. Stockholm.

It's no surprise that the Swedish city was included in the "Cleanest City in the World" list. The government of the country pays special attention to ecology and care for the environment, so Stockholm appears to tourists in a surprisingly pure form. In addition, this city minimizes light pollution.

5. Abu Dhabi.

The emir of the city spends a large amount Money to maintain cleanliness on the streets and implement environmental programs. The most professional specialists in the field of environmental protection work here.

Of course, it’s sad that not a single Russian city is included in this list. Russia cannot yet boast of a responsible attitude towards the environment.

World Health Organization: ranking of the cleanest cities

WHO annually compiles its lists of environmentally friendly capitals of the world. Most often, European cities make it into the top five. The ranking compiled in 2016 is as follows:

1. Sweden - Stockholm.
2. Scotland - Edinburgh.
3. Canada - Ottawa.
4. Australia - Canberra.
5. Wellington - New Zealand.

It is worth noting that Stockholm quite often appears on this list, occupying different positions in it.

Top 10 cleanest cities in the world: rating of alternative public organizations

Not only recognized organizations are involved in assessing the cleanliness and pollution of cities around the world, but also private organizations. Public interest in environmental protection is increasing every year, which is why alternative ratings are appearing:

1. Calgary (Canada).

This small town is located in a valley; two rivers pass through the city. Local residents claim that the water from these rivers can be drunk without harm to health.

2. Adelaide (Australia).

Waste recycling is organized here at a high level; more than eighty percent of waste is processed in special installations. The city has a large number of parks and squares.

3. Honolulu (Hawaii).

It is called the pearl of the tropics, where thousands of tourists from all over the world come with pleasure.

4. Minneapolis (USA).

Despite the fact that the city's population has already exceeded three million people, it remains surprisingly clean. This is facilitated by the high awareness of residents and environmental programs.

5. Kobe (Japan).

Advanced Japanese technologies aimed at preserving the environment help make the country's cities the cleanest.

6. Copenhagen (Denmark).

7. Wellington (New Zealand).

This city managed to get a high score in almost all indicators.

8. Helsinki (Finland).

This city is the heart of Finland, and all its residents make sure that their city is the cleanest and most comfortable.

9. Oslo (Norway).

In recent years, Oslo has made significant progress in implementing environmental programs. It has reduced emissions and continues to work to keep streets clean.

10. Freiburg (Germany).

The prefix “eco” is often used for this city. Freiburg is incredibly green and well-groomed, and the quality of life of its population has been at a high level for several years.

The cleanest countries in the world

Do you know which countries have the most clean cities? Don't be surprised, such a rating also exists. Top 3 most clean countries the world looks like this:

• Switzerland.
• Sweden.
• Norway.

Environmentalists believe that the Nordic countries will lead this list for a long time, because their governments spare no expense on

Russia: ranking of the cleanest cities

And what about Russia? What does our own ranking of the cleanest cities look like? In our country, unfortunately, there are no large public organizations that monitor the ecology of Russian cities. Therefore, we compiled the top 5 cleanest cities in Russia, taking information from various sources. This list looks like this:

• Volgograd.
• Saransk.
• Vologda.
• Kursk

Of course, these are very approximate data based on a set of estimates that correspond to generally accepted international standards.

Each person is responsible for the cleanliness of the surrounding world, because you shouldn’t wait for someone to start large-scale actions to clean up the city. You can simply pick up a candy wrapper that has fallen on the asphalt and go out on a cleanup day to remove trash from a nearby park. When absolutely all residents of megacities do this, the list of the cleanest cities in the world will certainly be replenished with new names.