Toxic skies | Political Economy

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The toxic air that piles up in Pakistan’s cities is a stark reminder of the country’s environmental negligence. Experts have warned that half of the measures have run out of time – drastic reforms are needed to prevent catastrophic consequences.

The 2024 Environmental Performance Index ranked Pakistan 178 out of 180 countries with just 6.3 points. Additionally, the 2023 IQAir World Air Quality Report revealed that Pakistan’s annual average PM 2.5 concentration was a staggering 73.7 µg/m³ – 14 times higher than the WHO recommended annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Air pollution is no longer a regional problem confined to Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that people face in the form of smog in winter, but it is an existential challenge that rings a serious alarm bell for the entire country throughout the year.

Speaking to The News on Sunday, WWF Director General Hamid Naqi said that urban areas are engulfed in hazardous air pollution that is increasingly harming human health and the economy, largely due to substandard fuels. And car engines have outdated technologies.

Naqi says that the deteriorating situation has brought us to a point where the time to consider the recommendations is over. “It calls for definitive action to ban obsolete car engines and transition from Euro I and II fuels to Euro 6.” Another imperative policy measure, he says, is to prevent car companies from importing models banned in Europe and Japan. This is the only way to deal with the dangerous air pollution that has become a national emergency.

Air quality in urban areas of Sindh, including Karachi, Midland Punjab and KPK, remains “poor to hazardous”. Further wasted time will only lead to greater morbidity and mortality and far greater socioeconomic costs.

Against the odds, school closures and artificial rain are like putting a Band-Aid on a bleeding artery.

Diesel oil and gasoline typically emit fumes and toxic hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen, as well as high levels of sulfur and benzene particles, which can cause breathing problems, lung damage and other health problems. are born Similarly, LPG adulteration contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone and urban smog.

Regionally and internationally, Euro V cleaner fuels have significantly improved over the older Euro II fuels that are mainly used in Pakistan, offering considerable benefits to both human health and the environment. Euro V cleaner fuel has more stringent emission standards, resulting in a dramatic reduction in pollution levels. Euro V fuel contains up to 90 percent less sulfur than Euro II fuel, significantly reducing emissions of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and other harmful pollutants. This reduction in emissions leads to improved air quality. They also contribute to reducing acid rain, smog and haze.

Hamid Naqi says that ever since the Lahore High Court intervened to set up a commission to study and recommend measures to control air pollution, the government has started importing the latest equipment and technology. Huge subsidies and incentives have been allowed for developing better and cleaner POL. products but failed to produce the desired results. To date, refineries use outdated hydroskimming or semi-conversion technology to produce Euro II standard fuels and are limited to RON 87 and RON 91 grades, climate change expert Arshad Ali Abbasi writes in his paper, Black. of the clouds Pakistan, published recently. The Pakistan Institute for Policy Research and Impact has identified air pollution as a result of Euro I, II petroleum products. “The country allows up to 40 percent of smuggled and substandard Iranian oil,” it said. This oil is mixed at most petrol pumps across the country. Additionally, ‘illegal’ hazardous solvents including VAM, mixed xylene and n-hexane are also mixed with the POL cocktail to produce toxic pollutants. The same is the case with LPG, which is mixed with carbon dioxide to artificially increase the pressure for better vaporization. This leads to the formation of ground-level ozone and urban smog, says Abbasi.

Air pollution is no longer a regional problem confined to Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that people face in the form of smog in winter, but it is an existential challenge that rings a serious alarm bell for the entire country throughout the year.

The World Bank estimates that the global health cost of air pollution is $8.1 trillion, or 6.1 percent of global GDP. Pakistan’s health burden is about 8.9% of its GDP.

The picture is further complicated by woefully inadequate mass transit schemes. Due to this, most cities have become heavily dependent on private vehicles. According to climate activist Mujtaba Baig, in 2023 Karachi had 6.5 million registered vehicles and about 250 buses. Lahore had 6.6 million vehicles.

Baig says that this large number of private transport vehicles leads to five times the traffic congestion and chaos on the roads and results in a 10-fold increase in vehicular emissions. He believes that if there were adequate number of public bus services, the resulting air pollution would be much less. Personal transportation also requires huge fuel imports, depleting Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves. In addition, fuel costs consume a significant portion of household income.

With the evolution of cleaner technologies, mass transportation options now include electric buses, hybrid buses, solar-powered buses, trams and light rail, subway/metro systems, and commuter rail. These can not only reduce pollution and fuel costs, but also improve the overall quality of life of 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. For this, Naqi says, governments need to improve their electric vehicle policies.

The current policy aims to promote environment-friendly transport and reduce carbon emissions. However, it prefers luxury EVs, which are unaffordable for most Pakistanis, although some scooters and three-wheelers are also allowed.

It offers significant tax breaks for EV importers and manufacturers, primarily benefiting wealthy individuals and corporations. EVs are thus out of reach for most Pakistanis due to high prices, making the policy ineffective in promoting widespread adoption. It also ignores the need for affordable, environmentally friendly public transportation, leaving millions of people dependent on polluting vehicles.

The focus should have been on large passenger vehicles and small cars which are mostly used by the middle class and lower middle class.

Left unchecked, air pollution will have serious economic consequences. Treating pollution-related illnesses will drain health care resources, diverting funds from other important needs. Air pollution will also lead to increased absenteeism, reduced workforce and reduced economic output. Agricultural production will decrease, affecting food security and causing economic damage to farmers and the economy.

The clock is ticking – Pakistan must act now to tackle its air pollution crisis. By switching to cleaner fuels, promoting environmentally friendly transportation and prioritizing public health, we can mitigate this national emergency and build a healthier, more prosperous future.

The writer is a senior reporter at The News.