A recent study has shown that a substantial reduction in air pollution could significantly increase life expectancy for residents of Pakistani cities. Karachi residents could gain up to 2.7 additional years of life, while Lahore and Islamabad residents stand to gain 7.5 and 4.5 years, respectively.
The study highlighted that every person in Pakistan is exposed to annual mean particulate matter pollution of 63 µg/m3, a staggering 12 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended 5 µg/m3.
Alarming statistics reveal that 69.5 percent of Pakistan’s population faces the risk of losing up to five years of their lives due to neurological, cardiovascular, and pulmonary diseases caused by current levels of air pollution. Shockingly, air pollution is attributed to 17 percent of deaths in Pakistan.
On the occasion of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, Fair Finance Pakistan launched its ‘LegislateNow’ campaign, advocating for clean air legislation, improved air quality monitoring, and greater investment in low-carbon technologies. Their report indicates that 25 percent of annual deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are linked to air pollution.
Campaign data underscores that Punjab, Islamabad Capital Territory, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are the most polluted regions, potentially costing their residents up to 4.6 years of life expectancy.
Asim Jaffry, Country Programme Lead of Fair Finance Pakistan, urged policymakers to introduce clean air legislation, citing the progress made in the United States.
The report also suggests that Pakistan could gain up to 7 years of life by reducing PM 2.5 levels to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.
Crucially, the report emphasizes that reducing carbon emissions from industries and tackling unique sources of pollution, such as biomass fuel combustion, will be instrumental in improving air quality and prolonging lives in Pakistan’s urban and rural areas.
