Pollution is one of the most irritating mechanics in Humankind. This mechanic plays an important role in reducing the life of your city thus ending the game. Therefore, if you don’t want your city to die, you should follow this guide on how to reduce Pollution in Humankind.
How to Reduce Pollution in Humankind
Before knowing how to reduce the amount of pollution in your empire in Humankind, it’s better to know how the in-game pollution system works and how drastically it can impact your city in late game.
How Pollution Works in Humankind
Starting off with the basics. Pollution starts to skyrocket from one of the Eras in Humankind called the “Industrial Era”, taking over specific infrastructures and Districts.
Once it takes over the inner regions, it slowly starts shifting its focus to the city Districts. There are two types of pollutions you want to reduce: Global pollution and Local pollution.
Global Pollution
Global Pollution greatly affects the city’s food production, stability as well as controls the entire map and each Empire takes part in causing pollution depending upon how much pollution they produce in territories on each turn.
Once the Global pollution hits the 100k accumulated pollution mark, it will automatically end the game in the next turn due to the game triggering its default End condition called “Rending the world unfit for human life”.
There are three stages of Global pollution: Very low (0-60k), Low (60k-80k) and High (80k-100k).
- At a Very Low stage, the city is hardly affected.
- At a Low stage, it reduces Stability by 50% and Food by 10% in all Cities.
- As for the last and High stage, the entire city loses its stability by 100%, and food production is reduced by 20%, putting an end to the game.
The worst part about this process is that it can’t be altered and the city will continue to get polluted considering how long the polluters are in control.
Local Pollution
Apart from Global pollution, you’ll also have to deal with local pollution. Local pollution is caused by Districts with strong infrastructures as their backbone. Local Pollution has its own three stages of pollution: Very low (1-49 each turn), Low (50-124 each turn) and High (125+ each turn).
- At a Very Low stage, the city is not affected.
- At a Low stage it reduces Stability by 15% and Food, Faith, Influence, Science, Money by 50% on all Districts.
- At the last stage, reduces Stability by 20% and Food, Faith, Influence, Science, Money by 100% on all Districts
Districts such as Makers Quarters and Farmers Quarters don’t usually pollute a territory but do contribute in doing so through their respective infrastructures.
Makers Quarters
Industrial Era, Coal Plant: +1 pollution.
Industrial Era, Sawmill: +1 pollution.
Industrial Era, Factory: +1 pollution.
Contemporary Era, Anti-Air Surveillance: +1 pollution.
Contemporary Era, Financial District: +2 pollution.
Contemporary Era, Quarrying Machinery: +2 pollution.
Contemporary Era, SAM: +2 pollution.
Contemporary Era, Automated Factory: +2 pollution.
Contemporary Era, Tech Park: +2 pollution.
Contemporary Era, Command Compound: +2 pollution.
Farmers Quarters
Industrial Era, Industrial Silos: +1 pollution.
Contemporary Era, Factory Farming: +2 pollution.
Reducing Pollution in Humankind
Once you’ve learned all the mechanics of the pollution system in Humankind, you’re all set to go to reduce it.
As mentioned before, infrastructures are one of the main causes of pollution in the city therefore, the best option is to use tech such as Renewable Energy or Hydroelectric Dams to lower the pollution rate by using industries that produce less pollution OR you can simply plant Forests to reduce your city’s pollution by 10 and enjoy the breath of fresh air.
