Amid the 21st-century climate change, the wave of smog has risen across the globe. In layman’s terms, smog is formed due to the merging of fog and smoke in the air. However, there are two types of smog. The first type is called London (Sulfurous) smog, i.e., formed due to the mixing of smoke and mist, as commonly perceived.
The other type is called Los Angeles (Photochemical) smog, partly a result of emissions from automobiles in urban centres. The problem in Pakistan is that both these types are prevalent, and not just during the winter season, but across the year.
The adverse health consequences of smog in Pakistan are evident from an increase in respiratory illnesses being reported, coupled with throat and eye irritation. Generally, people in Pakistan remain negligent about smog reduction. A Lahore-based study highlighted that people are more willing to pay for self-protection than to pay for smog reduction. This implies that people are reactive to smog, not proactive. Evidently, the issue of smog has spread to other cities of Pakistan as well.
In 2005, the Government of Pakistan launched the Pakistan Clean Air Programme (PCAP). Unfortunately, the act failed in its entirety. In 2017, the Punjab Environment Protection Department introduced a Policy on Controlling Smog with no success. Recently, a revised version of the act has been designed by the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) with the help of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The current government launched their version of the policy by changing the name to the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2023. The implementation of the act is yet to translate into evidence, as the intensity of smog and air pollution in general has worsened in the past couple of years.
Recently, another smog-controlling policy was introduced by the Government of Punjab for 2024–25, comprising the green lockdown that offered a short-term remedy rather than a long-term solution to the existing smog crisis. The measures gave temporary relief in designated hotspot areas with restrictions on commercial and certain industrial practices.
However, it was noted that the air quality deteriorated again once the restrictions were lifted. Hence, it is important that sustainable measures are adopted that address the underlying causes of smog. Smog towers and the use of anti-smog cannons temporarily reduce localised particulate matter, with limited effectiveness.
Transitioning to a legally binding approach would enable the establishment of permanent controls on emissions at their source, as well as the establishment of the basis for responding to crises
For a long-term remedy, Pakistan may adopt a bonus–penalty mechanism that provides a practical framework for tackling the nation's pressing issue of striking a balance between environmental degradation and industrial growth. The model could be used to optimise emission quotas and financial incentives across provinces and industries, including construction, agriculture, and thermal power generation, given Pakistan's federal structure.
The government could close the gap between environmental spending and revenue while working to meet air quality targets in smog-affected areas by putting in place a system that monetarily rewards verified emission reductions and penalises excess pollution. By maximising socioeconomic benefits and minimising fiscal disparity in environmental governance, a bi-level optimisation tailored to provincial capacities and national climate commitments could be implemented. This would ultimately direct industrial practices towards sustainable compliance through a structured economic incentive.
Moreover, setting legally enforceable national emission limits based on guidelines from successful regulatory frameworks like the European Union air quality regime is another possible long-term solution to reducing smog. In Europe, research from the past shows that they have been able to reduce the amount of PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides in the air by keeping an eye on emissions and enforcing rules to control them.
Pakistan needs a system like the one in Europe to control emissions and reduce air pollution. Transitioning to a legally binding approach would enable the establishment of permanent controls on emissions at their source, as well as the establishment of the basis for responding to crises.
Policymakers in Pakistan must also consider short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). These include methane, black carbon, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are big contributors to air pollution. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition highlighted that by reducing SLCP emissions, the air gets cleaner rapidly.
This is because, despite being short-lived, the adverse impact they have on the air is long-lasting. Hence, Pakistan must adopt suitable measures to reduce SLCPs and, in turn, mitigate smog.
It is further imperative to note that not all pollutants contributing to air pollution are local pollutants. This is evident from the trend that Lahore and Delhi often face high air pollution simultaneously. Atmospheric pollution is a problem that no one country can solve on its own because pollution does not stop at borders.
Pakistan may employ the system set up by the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, which shows how countries can work together to track and reduce air pollution. They can make lists of what is polluting the air, monitor what is being released, and work together to cut down on pollutants such as sulfur and nitrogen oxides.