Pakistan continues to combat serious air pollution, ranking among the countries most affected by the world, according to new data published on Tuesday. The country’s air quality is much lower than the standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), dangerous particle levels (PM2.5) considerably exceeding safety limits.
In 2024, Pakistan was classified among the first five most polluted countries in the world, alongside Chad, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo and India. The average concentration of PM2.5 in Pakistan was alarming, far exceeding the WHO security limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter, which was only respected by 17% of world cities last year.
This persistent SMOG crisis is not only a major health problem, but also a setback in the country’s efforts to improve air quality. The main urban centers like Lahore and Karachi are regularly faced with intense pollution, especially during the winter, when fog and industrial emissions combine to worsen air quality.
Pakistan’s dependence on external surveillance sources has also become an important challenge.
For years, air quality sensors of the American state department, installed in the embassy and consulate buildings, have provided crucial data of real -time pollution for many developing countries, including Pakistan.
However, the United States has recently ended this surveillance program, citing budgetary constraints. This has left countries like Pakistan vulnerable to gaps in pollution data, which makes future efforts to fight against SMOG more difficult.
Christi Chester-Schroeder, Director of Air Quality Sciences at IQAir, underlined the impact on countries like Pakistan, where these surveillance stations were often the only source of information on real-time air quality. “The loss of these surveillance stations is a blow for efforts in regions where pollution data is rare,” she said.
As global pollution levels increase, climate change intensifies the situation. Higher temperatures lead to longer and more serious forest fires, especially in parts of Southeast Asia and South America, which further aggravates air quality.
The closing of the American air quality program could affect at least 34 countries, including Pakistan, with substantial loss of reliable pollution data. Christa Hasenkopf, director of the Clean Air program at the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, described this decision as an important setback. “It is a giant blow for air quality efforts in the world,” she said.
With climate change aggravating the pollution and the loss of key surveillance tools, Pakistan faces an increasingly difficult battle against its smog crisis. The need for reliable air quality and stronger pollution control measures has never been so urgent.
