CPDI Calls for Comprehensive Strategy to Address Smog Crisis, Urges Regional Cooperation Between India and Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), a non-profit organization focused on climate action, has demanded the Federal and provincial governments in Pakistan to adopt and implement a comprehensive strategy to address the worsening problem of smog and improve air quality on sustainable basis. It has also highlighted the importance of regional cooperation, especially between India and Pakistan, on climate related concerns, including deteriorating air quality and smog, as the causes of poor air quality and impacts of climate change are similar across the borders.

CPDI has highlighted the adverse impact of smog and poor air quality on health and quality of life of people, especially those who are more vulnerable than others due to their advanced age and health conditions like asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Smog has already started affecting the education system, as the schools have been closed in several parts of the Pakistani Punjab to limit the potential risks. The closure of school will particularly affect children from low-income backgrounds, who lack access to private tuitions and gadgets for taking online classes. Smog also disproportionately affects livelihoods of daily wage workers, who experience restricted mobility and can’t find jobs due to restrictions on economic activities that contribute to deteriorating air quality. The overall impact of smog and poor air quality is huge on peoples’ health, children’s education and workers’ access to jobs. Unlike rich people with relatively safer houses, access to air purifying gadgets and ability to restrict their mobility, poor people with limited indoor spaces and constrained financial resources are highly vulnerable.

While the Government of Punjab has taken some significant actions to address the problem of smog and mitigate its impacts, there is still a lot more that needs be done to enhance awareness, build capacities, and improve coordination across departments for integrated and effective actions for optimal and sustainable results within the minimal possible duration. CPDI also calls upon other provincial governments to take immediate measures to improve air quality through an effective mechanism to gradually transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, reduce transport and industry related emissions and stop burning of crop stubbles. It is wrong to think that poor air quality is just a problem of certain parts of Punjab, the fact is that air quality across country has substantially deteriorated, and it would get even worse if immediate remedial measures are not taken.

CPDI has further emphasized the need of regional cooperation, especially between India and Pakistan, for climate action with focus on improving air quality and water management to avert relevant hazards and disasters. For this purpose, it is imperative that both countries enter a dialogue and develop a joint mechanism, which ensures effective coordinated among stakeholders including civil society, governments and corporate sectors. Such a mechanism should also facilitate sharing of experiences and best practices and collaborative initiatives in areas like research, adoption of appropriate technologies and development of connected market for maximum harnessing and utilization of green energy potential.