What steps can Pakistan be taught from China to sort out air air pollution?

The combined image shows Chinas capital Beijing and Pakistani Punjabs capital Lahore. — Reuters/File
The mixed picture reveals China’s capital Beijing and Pakistani Punjab’s capital Lahore. — Reuters/File

The Chinese language capital Beijing has drastically lowered its air air pollution in 10 years by slicing its PM 2.5 air pollution by 64%, dangerous nitrogen dioxide by 54% and poisonous sulphur dioxide by 89% in 2013, as per a report by the World Financial Discussion board.

Contemplating its efficient efforts, many international locations are following Beijing’s lead. Amid this, the identical air air pollution curbing step information might help neighbouring Pakistan as effectively contemplating that the South Asian nation is coping with this excessive disaster for the reason that previous month.

It’s price noting that Beijing has elevated the variety of “good air days” from simply 13 in 2013 to greater than 300 in 2023.

The Chinese language capital has come a good distance for the reason that first decade of the twenty first century when its smog degree was highest on this planet. In response to the United Nations, no different metropolis has achieved such a speedy shift.

Pakistan, particularly Punjab’s capital Lahore, then again, has been shrouded in a dense layer of hazardous smog for a lot of November, intensifying well being considerations for its residents.

The air pollution peaked on November 14. Knowledge from the Swiss air-quality monitoring organisation, IQAir, revealed the town’s Air High quality Index (AQI) skyrocketed to an unusually excessive and dangerous 1,110, and tiny particulate matter, or PM2.5, reached a staggering 632 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

Stubble burning has been a big contributor to this yr’s smog in Pakistan. Farmers set fireplace to the stubble of harvested crops to clear fields for the following planting season. The observe, mixed with unfavourable meteorological circumstances, unleashed smoke and air pollution over the area.

Moreover, authorities reported 1000’s of fireplace incidents in Punjab’s areas, including to already alarming air pollution.

Whereas authorities vowed to take related and efficient measures to sort out the air air pollution and smog dilemmas in Lahore and different cities, sure assist could be taken from the Chinese language capital.

To be able to sort out the air air pollution drawback, Beijing constructed a high-density three-dimensional air-quality system, which mixes 1,500 PM2.5 sensors all through the town with high-res satellite tv for pc distant sensing and laser radar.

Along with this, it additionally launched strict emission controls on coal-fired energy crops in addition to phased out older, extra polluting automobiles from the roads and expanded the general public transport system.

All of those measures had been taken whereas the town continued to increase economically rising its GDP 6.8% a yr.


— Extra enter from Reuters