Like many South Asian countries, Pakistan is facing an alarming increase in pollution indicators, with the country having one of the worst levels of air quality in the world.
According to IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, Pakistan maintained the second worst air quality in 2023 with an average PM2.5 concentration of 73.7 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³).
IQAir measures air quality levels based on the concentration of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5, which should not exceed 5 μg/m³ of the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the report, PM2.5 levels in Islamabad rose to their highest levels recorded in the city’s seven-year history at 42.4 μg/m³.
Meanwhile, Lahore, which was recorded as the world’s most polluted city in March 2023, also saw an increase of more than 20 μg/m³ in PM2.5 levels, reaching 99.5 μg/m3 with the city’s monthly average PM2. The 0.5 level reached 251 µg/m3 in November last year, prompting the courts to order the government to declare a “smog emergency” in the provincial capital.
“Every city in Pakistan included in the 2023 report measured concentrations above 30 µg/m3, which is at least six times the WHO’s recommended annual guideline for PM2.5,” the report said.
Apart from Lahore, several other cities including Faisalabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Rawalpindi also recorded significantly high levels of PM2.5 compared to WHO guidelines.
As per the report, several factors including crop stubble burning, deforestation, industrial and vehicular emissions, smoke from brick kilns, etc. have contributed to such dangerous levels of air quality.
Due to the alarming situation, the government has even imposed a lockdown in several cities across Punjab due to heavy smog engulfing several districts.
In December 2023, Lahore even witnessed the country’s first-ever artificial rain after aircraft equipped with cloud seeding equipment flew over 10 urban areas to combat hazardous air quality levels in the metropolis.
Pakistan’s average PM2.5 levels are exceeded only by Bangladesh’s 79.9 μg/m³. Meanwhile, India ranks third with 54.4 μg/m³ of PM2.5.
