WWF-Pakistan Calls for National Health Emergency as Smog Crisis Deepens
— November 14, 2024
ISLAMABAD (AIA) The World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) has urged the federal government to declare smog a “national health emergency” as pollution levels soar across multiple cities. In a letter to Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, WWF-Pakistan outlined immediate and long-term strategies to address the smog crisis engulfing the country.
Immediate Actions Recommended To mitigate the immediate health and environmental impacts, WWF-Pakistan has proposed:
Closing polluting industries,
Extending “Green Lockdown” regulations to other areas of Lahore and highly affected cities,
Halting construction activities during peak smog season, including shutting down brick kilns, and
Removing high-emission vehicles from roads.
WWF-Pakistan’s Director General Hammad Naqi Khan stressed the urgency of taking bold steps. “The worsening air quality and persistent smog are critical issues impacting public health, the environment, and our economy,” he stated.
Long-Term Solutions The organisation also outlined several sustainable approaches to combat air pollution, including:
Promoting electric vehicles,
Developing sustainable urban models,
Establishing segregated industrial zones,
Expanding mass transit networks,
Transitioning to renewable energy sources,
Upgrading to Euro V or Euro VI fuel standards, and
Accelerating the adoption of electric two- and three-wheelers.
WWF-Pakistan advocates for the widespread use of low-cost air quality sensors to support informed, data-driven smog-control measures. The organisation has been actively monitoring the air quality, and, in partnership with the IQAir Foundation, operates Pakistan’s largest network of affordable air quality sensors, covering 15 cities.
Escalating Smog Crisis
As autumn sets in, smog levels have surged, becoming a severe environmental and public health issue. Air quality index (AQI) readings from several Punjab c