Pakistan’s pollution has reached catastrophic levels as the smog is now visible from space. Within Lahore, a city in northern Pakistan, a thick fog covers most of the town, and visibility is so low that motorways have to be shut down. While the whole country is impacted, Pakistan’s poorer populations are facing the brunt of this ecological disaster as there are little to no means of protection for them.
Pakistan’s smog levels are double the hazardous amount dictated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Automobile emissions make up 45% of year-round air pollution, most likely due to low-quality fuel use. Approximately another 40% comes from industrial emissions, specifically from energy production. There is some relief during the monsoon season as the hot air rises and takes the pollution with it. However, for the rest of the year, there is no avail for this problem. Most say they can only pray for rain as a solution.
There is a strong urgency for policymakers to act on this issue and produce wide-scale change. Yet, Pakistan’s lawmakers have shown an inability to implement change, further hurting the population. Abdullah Fadil, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund’s (UNICEF) representative in Pakistan, says the smog was visible from space. He estimates more than 11 million children under five years old are living in the most impacted areas and will likely suffer developmental defects in their lungs and brains. The dense fog has caused schools to close, with almost 16 million children unable to attend. As the country already has low literacy rates, it cannot afford to halt crucial educational milestones.
There has been an unprecedented change in Pakistani-Indian diplomacy as this pollution has led to “smog diplomacy.” Some of the smog has blown in from neighboring India and settled into Pakistan due to farmers on both sides of the border burning off the remains from their harvested fields. This is done to prepare for new planting but leads to further build-up within the air. While both countries are attempting to figure out a solution, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientist Pawan Gupta states the pollution levels are highest during the winter, meaning the worst pollution is still ahead.
By Anisha Parmar