Pakistan is one of the countries that will be hit the hardest by climate change and we are already seeing some of its impact with smog becoming a regular feature in Punjab.
Air pollution is the leading cause of deaths in the country and second highest in the world, according to a report called “State of Global Air”, by the US-based Health Effects Institute and the University of British Columbia.
According to that report, over 52% of the households in the country have been exposed to air pollution which has caused the deaths of an estimated 128,000 people in the country.
Earlier this year, Former Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Nisar A Memon had said:
It is a challenge to our political leadership to address: estimated 135,000 deaths per year attributed to ambient air pollution – the leading cause of sickness and deaths in Pakistan.
The report has listed China and India with the highest mortality rate due to air pollution, with Pakistan having the dubious honor of being second. India has the highest number of cities in the list of twenty most polluted cities in the world and Pakistan is joint-second with China with two cities in the list, Faisalabad, and Lahore.
Nisar A Memon said:
The incumbent government which has priority of economic revival has no option but to develop technical capacity and capability to beat ambient pollution since they are under constitutional oath to provide fundamental human rights to its citizens.
