Why Karachi needs AQI

Karachi is facing an air-quality emergency which poses severe risks to public health, economic productivity and sustainable urban development. Ambient air pollution, mainly driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), industrial fumes, automobile emissions, construction dust and debris as well as open burning of waste, has reached hazardous levels.

Karachi lacks a real-time, comprehensive and publicly available Air Quality Index (AQI) monitoring framework. Such data vacuum strictly constrains research-based policymaking and emergency response. Public health indicators are worsening in the shape of rising incidence of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory and cardiovascular issues as well as premature deaths. Regional case studies reveal that integrated monitoring systems are both cost-effective and feasible. Cities through-out Asia employ hybrid systems combining reference-grade stations, cost-effective fixed sensors, satellite observations, mobile monitoring platforms and diffusive samplers. Karachi can adopt related models by deploying calibrated affordable sensors in residential zones, schools and hospitals. Satellite platforms can further enhance spatial coverage. Significantly, standard-ised quality control and calibration protocols are similar to the water supply sector model of the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) that must be established for atmospheric governance. However, monitoring alone is insufficient without strategic mitigation. Effective implementation needs coordinated governance among relevant agencies, supported by a dedicated task force and academic partnerships. Besides, inter-national climate finance mechanisms can catalyse long-term investments.

MIRZA NAEEM AHMED MUGHAL

KARACHI