BEIJING: Punjab province has great potential to use downstream pollution control, an approach that focuses on wastewater treatment or filtration before waste is released into the environment.
This was reported by Chu Yangxi, a research associate professor at the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences who, along with two other Chinese environmental experts, visited Lahore last month and witnessed the pollution problems.
The province could take adequate measures to control sulfur dioxide emissions, Chu said.
Local authorities invited the trio to Lahore, hoping to learn from China’s successful effort to restore clean air and blue skies over Beijing in just a decade.
Chu has previously participated in international air quality management exchange programs. However, the journey to Pakistan was different, as reported by China Daily.
This was the first time I visited a country involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for an activity in which I am able to provide scientific and technological support,” he said.
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“China is receiving an increasing number of requests from developing countries to learn from their experience in improving air quality as they themselves enter the stage of development that China has already gone through.”
“What makes China’s efforts attractive to them is that the country has seen improvements in air quality while expanding its economy at a similar pace,” experts said.
“The various strategies used to control air pollution, which take into account complex national conditions, also make China a good example of air quality management solutions,” they said.
In November, Chinese experts were asked to discuss the country’s efforts to control air pollution with senior officials in Punjab through an online meeting.
However, the Punjab government was still eager to arrange a field visit for them for further exchanges, Chu said.
During their stay in Pakistan, the Chinese team exchanged with nine departments and visited industrial enterprises.
They also met Mohsin Raza Naqvi, the caretaker chief minister of Punjab.
