The air we breathe

Given the chaos on political, economic and security fronts, let us not get too distracted to neglect our collective responsibility to protect the future of our planet. We can contribute in this effort by doing all we can to protect our environment; by helping reduce air pollution and by improving air quality to ensure the coming generations live in an environment with better air quality. How we can do it is a tough question to answer. Taking ownership of the effort is the key.

China, our immediate neighbour, is going to host the World Environment Day celebrations on June 5.

The theme for the year’s event is air pollution. It is not only an issue of global concern but also a matter of critical importance for millions of people in Pakistan, especially for those dwelling in big cities.

Over the last decade, the people of Pakistan have experienced new environmental challenges. Smog, which is a combination of fog and urban pollution, has a huge destructive role in during the relevant period of the year. It causes several diseases and increases the number of lives lost in road accidents through reduced visibility.

Several respiratory disorders are linked to air pollution. Heat waves are a phenomenon caused by environmental degradation and climate change.

About 92 per cent of the people all over the world are forced to breath polluted air

We must not forget that air quality has been one of the major concerns for environmentalists across the globe. This is so because several reports suggest that the number of people in the world who die prematurely due to air pollution every year is about seven million. Almost 57 per cent of these deaths occur in the Asia-Pacific region. About 92 per cent people of the world are forced to breath polluted air.

The situation in Pakistan in terms of air quality is quite alarming. It is ranked as one of the worst in the South Asian region. The impact of environmental degradation and air pollution is directly linked to health and well being of the common man. On one hand, it signifies the need for urgent and appropriate policy measures. On the other, it calls for engaging all stakeholders including industries, corporate sector, academia, mass media and the masses.

Evidence suggests that deteriorating air quality results in a high cost in terms of human health. The challenge is more severe in Pakistan than the world average. A study carried out in 2009 indicated 9,000 premature deaths in the province of Sindh alone during the span of just one year on account of air pollution. More research is an utmost requirement to respond to the challenge as it seems worsening, especially due to the phenomenal increase in the numbers of vehicles in the country.

Experts are of the view that there is no dearth of laws in Pakistan. Industries can be persuaded to adopt environment-friendly practices and plans can be introduced to reduce emission on the roads. Lack of robust planning and a weak enforcement of laws have been identified as major failures in this regard. The field demands keen attention and capacity gaps need to be removed to deal with the chronic issues.

We should try to learn from China’s experience in dealing with air pollution. A number of Chinese cities including Taiyuan, Beijing, Urumqi and Lanzhou, have been known for poor air quality until quite recently. However, the Chinese authorities are now seen winning the battle against urban air pollution.

How China is responding to air pollution using modern technology can be a critical lesson for countries like Pakistan. Besides effective traffic management, improved public transport, regulations for private cars and local traffic plans are the need of the hour. We need to explore the ways to a gradual shift towards cleaner energy with a less hazardous impact on the environment. Massive awareness campaigns are needed to make masses aware of their role as responsible individuals to safeguard the environment. A political will at the decision-making level is perhaps the most important requisite for a clean and green Pakistan.

The writer is based in Islamabad