Daily Times

Pakistan is the most urbanized country in South Asia and resultantly most hit by the urban air pollution which is damaging health and quality of life of people on the one hand and economy and environment on the other hand. In Pakistan, the entire population of more than 240 million live in areas with annual average particulate levels higher than the WHO’s guidelines. Pakistan faces a fifth season every winter due to smog. Toxic air kills around 128000 annually in Pakistan. Karachi and Lahore, the two largest cities in the country, rank among the top ten cities for the world’s poorest air quality.

Rapid urbanization accompanied by environmental problems such as air pollution, ineffective waste management, traffic congestion and destruction of ecosystem are the major challenges that policy makers face in Pakistan. This situation is due to emissions from vehicles which are linked to high morbidity and mortality, biomass burning, coal combustion and industrial emissions and natural dust. The industrial sectors with high potential to impact air quality are cement, fertilizers, sugar, steel, power plants, brick kilns and plastic molding. Some of them use furnace oil high in Sulphur, others use waste for fuel such as old tyres, paper, wood and textile waste. Widespread use of diesel generators, lack of renewable energy, rapid vehicle growth, aging fleet of vehicles in poor condition, adulterated fuel, poor public transport and burning of solid waste and use of solid fuel such as wood, dung and agriculture waste are major challenges in the way of obtaining clean air.

The major life expectancy reduction by 4.3 years along with reduction in crop yield due to smog, poses food security challenge. In short, air pollution has significantly impacted, health of the citizens along with economic development and climate change.

Karachi and Lahore, the two largest cities in the country, rank among the top ten cities for the world’s poorest air quality.

Pakistan had few policies on environment, climate change and national conservation strategy in which air pollution was one of the important components but these were aimed at sustainable development, natural resource conservation and climate change. Air pollution and air quality were a byproduct of these policies. As Pakistan National Conservation Strategy 1992 is about sustainable development, conservation of natural resources and efficient use of natural resources. This provides a broader framework for the sustainable development, conservation of environment and climate change but this strategy does not deal with the clean air and air quality standards in Pakistan.

There are around eleven policies made by the government to address the climate change which need to be taken into account briefly in chronological order. National Resettlement Policy 2002, the overall objective of the policy was to provide a policy framework for land acquisition and resettlement for all the projects to be financed by the government. Moreover, it also aimed to provide a set of principles, procedures and guidelines for the government and other implementing parties, to be applied to the projects requiring land acquisition and resettlement.

National Environmental Policy 2005 provides an overarching framework for addressing the environmental issues faced by Pakistan, particularly pollution of freshwater bodies and coastal waters, air pollution, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, desertification, natural disasters and climate change. National Drinking Water Policy 2009 aimed to improve the quality of life by reducing the incidence of death and illness caused by water-borne diseases. The policy provides specific guidelines for increasing access to safe drinking water, protection and conservation of surface and groundwater resources.

National Rangeland Policy 2010’s main objectives were to conserve and maintain rangeland diversity and to mitigate the negative impacts of global warming and climate change especially related to desertification. National Sanitation Policy 2012 envisions creation of an open defecation free environment with safe disposal of liquid and solid waste and the promotion of health and hygiene practices in the country.

National Climate Change Policy 2012, which was later revised in October 2021 comprehensively addresses all possible challenges of Climate Change adaptation and mitigation. National Forest Policy 2016, Forest Policy formulation at the national level has a long history with the announcement of the first Forest Policy of Pakistan in 1955, followed by the Forest Policies of 1962, 1975, 1980, and 1988. The goal of the policy was the expansion, protection and sustainable use of national forests, protected areas, natural habitats and watersheds.

Pakistan REDD Strategy was announced in Oct 2021. The goal of a National REDD+ Strategy is the effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions coming from deforestation and forest degradation, the conservation and enhancement of carbon stocks, and the promotion of Sustainable Forest Management.

National Electric Vehicle Policy 2019 with revision in 2021 proposes an incentivized and phased approach for achieving the penetration targets for Electric Vehicles in three phases – market development, public awareness, fuel import bill substitution, local adoption and export.

Alternative & Renewable Energy Policy was announced in 2019. The purpose of the Policy was to develop an efficient, sustainable, secure, affordable, competitive and environment friendly power system. National Hazardous Waste Management Policy 2022 enables Pakistan to play a pivotal role in meeting the obligations under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.

In view of the rapid deteriorating air quality, the Government of Pakistan introduced first ever National Clean Air Policy (NCAP) in 2023, with a view to provide a framework for improving air quality in Pakistan. The NCAP identifies one priority intervention in each of the following sectors to reduce air pollutant emissions across all major sources ie (a). Transport: Implement Euro-5 and Euro-6 fuel quality standards; (b) Industry: Enforce emission standards for industries; (c) Agriculture: Prevent burning of agricultural residues; (d) Waste: Prevent open burning of municipal solid waste; (e) Household/Residential: Promote use of low-emission cooking technologies.

To implement the NCAP, a National Action Committee (NAC) is envisaged to be established at the federal level to provide policy guidelines and review progress, which in turn will be facilitated by a technical committee. The funding mechanism for the implementation of the NCAP has been identified through international donor agencies. All Previous policies were public sector focused. In the NCAP, this fact of market economy and civil society is focused primarily. Public, private and inclusion of NGOs was missing in the previous policies. Secondly, environment is a trans-boundary issue and international organizations is coordinating amongst the countries.

(To be concluded)

The writer works at a public policy think tank. He can be reached at saudzafar5@gmail.com