he toxic air enveloping Pakistan’s cities is a stark reminder of the country’s environmental recklessness. Experts warn that the time for half-measures is over – drastic reforms are necessary to prevent catastrophic consequences.
The 2024 Environmental Performance Index ranked Pakistan 178th out of 180 countries, with a score of just 6.3 points. Furthermore, the 2023 IQAir World Air Quality Report revealed that Pakistan’s annual average PM 2.5 concentration was a staggering 73.7 µg/m³ – a whopping 14 times higher than the WHO’s recommended annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
Air pollution is no longer a regional issue limited to the Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that the people face in winter in the form of smog but an existential challenge that poses severe alarm to the entire country the whole year.
Talking to The News on Sunday, WWF director general Hamid Naqi says the urban areas are in the grip of hazardous air pollution that is increasingly taking its toll on human health and the economy largely due to substandard fuel and obsolete car engine technologies.
Naqi says the precipitous situation has brought us to the point where the time for pondering over recommendations is over. “It calls for definitive action to ban outdated car engines and transition from Euro I and II fuels to Euro 6.” Another mandatory policy move should be to prevent the car companies to import models banned in Europe and Japan, he says. This is the only way to address the alarming air pollution that has become a national emergency.
The air quality remains “bad to dangerous” in urban areas of Sindh including Karachi, midland Punjab and the KPK. Wasting any more time would only cause more sickness and death and a far greater socioeconomic cost.
Against the odds, school closure and artificial rain are like putting a band-aid on a bleeding artery.
Diesel oil and petrol typically have high-quality sulfur and benzene particulate matter emissions besides vapours and toxic hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen, causing respiratory issues, lung damage and other health problems. Similarly, the LPG adulteration contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone and urban smog.
Regionally and internationally Euro V cleaner fuels have marked a significant improvement over the older Euro II fuels that are predominantly used in Pakistan, They offer substantial benefits for both human health and the environment. Euro V cleaner fuels have much stricter emission standards, resulting in a dramatic reduction in pollutant levels. Euro V fuels contain up to 90 per cent less sulfur than Euro II fuels, significantly decreasing the emissions of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and other harmful pollutants. This reduction in emissions leads to improved air quality. They also contribute to a reduction in acid rain, smog and haze.
Hamid Naqi says that for the 10 years since the Lahore High Court intervened to set up commissions to study and suggest measures to overcome air pollution, the government has allowed huge subsidies and incentives to import sophisticated equipment and the latest technology to produce better and cleaner POL products but that failed to produce the desired results. To this day, the refineries employ old hydro-skimming or semi-conversion technology to produce EURO II standard fuels and are limited to churning out RON 87 and RON 91 grades, climate change expert Arshad Ali Abbasi writes in his paper, The Dark Clouds of Pakistan, published recently. Pakistan Institute for Policy Research and Impact describes air pollution as a consequence of EURO I, II petroleum products. It says “the country allows as much as 40pc smuggled and substandard Iranian oil.” This oil is blended at most petrol pumps across the country. Furthermore, ‘illegal’ dangerous solvents including VAM, mixed xylene and n-hexane are also blended with the POL cocktail to produce toxic pollutants. The same goes for LPG which is adulterated with carbon dioxide to artificially increase pressure for improved vapourisation. This leads to the formation of ground-level ozone and urban smog, Abbasi says.
Air pollution is no longer a regional issue limited to the Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that the people face in winter in the form of smog but an existential challenge that poses severe alarm to the entire country the whole year.
The World Bank estimates the global health cost of air pollution at $8.1 trillion, or 6.1 per cent of global GDP. Pakistan’s health burden is around 8.9 percent of its GDP.
The woefully inadequate mass transit schemes further complicate this picture. This has led most cities to an overwhelming reliance on private vehicles. According to climate activist Mujtaba Baig Karachi had 6.5 million registered vehicles and almost 250 buses in 2023. Lahore had 6.6 million vehicles.
Baig says this huge number of private transport vehicles leads to a five-fold traffic load and chaos on the roads and a consequent 10-fold increase in vehicular emissions. He is confident that the consequent air pollution would have been far less had there been an adequate number of public bus services. The personalised transport also requires staggering fuel import that drains Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves. Besides the fuel costs consume a significant portion of household income.
With the evolution of cleaner technologies, mass transit options now include electric buses, hybrid buses, solar-powered buses, trams and light rail, subway/ metro systems, and commuter rail. These can not only mitigate pollution and fuel costs but also enhance the overall quality of life for the citizens, says Mujtaba Baig.
Vancouver’s electric bus fleet, London’s hybrid bus fleet, and Tokyo’s clean diesel are some of the successful implementations of cleaner mass transit systems.
Cities like Lahore and Karachi need to invest in efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly mass transit systems to help reduce air pollution. This also requires that the governments improve their electric vehicle policies, says Naqi.
The current policy aims to promote eco-friendly transportation and reduce carbon emissions. However, it prioritises luxury EVs, which are unaffordable for most Pakistanis, though, some scooters and three-wheelers have also been allowed.
It offers significant tax breaks for EV importers and manufacturers, primarily benefiting wealthy individuals and corporations. Thereby the EVs remain out of reach for most Pakistanis due to high prices, making the policy ineffective in promoting widespread adoption. It also overlooks the need for affordable, eco-friendly public transportation, leaving millions reliant on polluting vehicles.
The focus should have been on larger passenger vehicles and smaller cars that the middle class and the lower-middle-class largely use.
Left unaddressed, air pollution will have severe economic consequences. Treating pollution-related illnesses will drain healthcare resources, diverting funds from other critical needs. Increased absenteeism, reduced workforce productivity and decreased economic output will also occur due to air pollution. Agricultural productivity will decline, affecting food security and leading to economic losses for farmers and the economy.
The clock is ticking – Pakistan must act now to combat its air pollution crisis. By switching to cleaner fuels, promoting eco-friendly transportation and prioritising public health we can mitigate this national emergency and create a healthier, prosperous future.
The writer is a senior reporter at The News
