Waging a war on air pollution through collaborative endeavors

Fossil fuels and the widespread burning of waste

In October 2025 Pernille Ironside, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan stated that on average, 8 children die every hour due to air pollution in Pakistan. While efforts to control air pollution exist, cities face challenges in maintaining safe air quality standards. Air pollution affects millions worldwide. People find it difficult to breathe due to air pollution, which causes respiratory illnesses. Other illnesses linked to breathing because of bad air include lung cancer and asthma. Despite knowing that air pollution is a serious threat to public health and well-being, cities consistently exceed safe air quality guidelines. Burning waste, traffic fuels, and industrial emissions have a choking effect and pose serious health risks. Air pollution is a growing concern in urban areas. It makes life incredibly uncomfortable.  Breathing in such conditions is injurious to health because tiny particles bypass the body’s natural defenses. From the lungs, they travel to each organ in the body. The damage they cause to the body can easily be imagined.

Irreversible health hazards

  Asking people to wear masks while outside is not the solution, as it does not address the root cause. A significant contributor is the improper waste disposal in open dumps, which releases toxic gases, contributing to polluted air. Sustainable urban management practices such as water conservation and rainwater harvesting can help reduce the environmental stress, indirectly reducing the environmental burden that worsens air quality. PM2.5 is a pollutant that comes from different sources, and cities from Delhi to Istanbul to Los Angeles are witnessing a rise in asthma attacks.

The cities where the air is getting better

In many cities, the air seems to be improving, with a 5% improvement in overall air quality through targeted actions. They have identified the source of air pollution. The citizens are actively participating in initiatives to promote cleaner and fewer vehicles. Bangkok is expanding its sky trains and metro services. Delhi is working on electrifying 80% of its bus fleet. In Kolkata, an electric scooter service is launching. More bike lanes are being added in Paris and Times Square in NYC, while additional areas are being converted into pedestrian zones. Cities are experimenting with different urban designs. Cities like Kampala and Belo Horizonte are taking measures to reduce traffic congestion. In Delhi, authorities are measuring and reducing dust from construction sites. Delhi is converting the traditional brick kilns to zigzag kilns. Poland is getting rid of coal and wood-fired stoves. Beijing has massively reduced the pollution levels. The Beijing government subsidized residents who upgraded their coal-fired boilers to natural gas. Although it is still a fossil fuel, it produces less particulate matter (PM). Thus, renovating coal-fired boilers used in homes led to a considerable reduction in air pollution in China. South Korea is now thinking of switching to eco-friendly heat pumps.

Resonating across the regions

Industries must adopt more efficient technologies. Solid waste management bylaws and shutting down coal power plants are necessary, as burning waste spreads harmful gases. Segregating waste at the source is necessary to prevent toxic emissions and improve the efficiency of solid waste management.

Waging War on Air Pollution

Like-minded individuals and corporations can come together and adopt innovative solutions for fighting air pollution. Imposing tight limits on emissions is one such step. Household cooking and heating practices must be examined and improved. The ability to monitor the air quality must also be increased. Pollution has now reached hazardous levels, and a thick haze covers the city, making life difficult. Therefore, structural and policy reforms are essential to address this surmounting challenge.

Are we doing enough?

Emissions from heavy traffic and coal burning are causing rising air pollution levels, which is alarming. Cutting emissions is essential to reducing pollution. Water sprayers will not help reduce pollution levels. We must focus on the most effective measures. Enforcement from top to bottom is the solution. Implementation of strategic policies with strict enforcement is required. Dependence on thermal power plants located near densely populated areas must be reduced. Efforts to control pollution should not be confined to one area only. Instead of relying on temporary relief measures like cloud seeding experiments to clean the air, comprehensive reforms and policy interventions are needed. Disaster management should be round the year, not seasonal planning.

Now is the time to act

Cities like Oslo, known for some of the cleanest air in the world, are taking decisive steps to reduce pollution further. This shows how essential it is to maintain and revitalize the public spaces. For this, we must make our public spaces inclusive, thriving and more vibrant. Strict environmental laws are the need of the hour. People want to spend time outdoors, but only if the air is clean. 

Plan to fix the problem

Clean air is a must for our survival. A coordinated effort between the federal and provincial governments is essential to address this problem. Sprinkling water on roads daily is only a short-term solution. Smog towers are also not that effective, as the same situation recurs every year. Another small but meaningful measure would be encouraging people to plant a tree in memory of their loved ones. Such steps, though small, can give good results. When you give to nature, it gives you back. Forests and lakes help filter the air naturally. Imposing regulations, improving land use planning, preventing riverbed encroachment, implementing response action plans, and transforming streets to accommodate more bicycles are viable solutions to mitigate pollution.

Most importantly, as said by an expert, we must realize now that every piece of land is not a plot. Vertical housing may be promoted to accommodate the people, and the population must be kept in balance. Is it not alarming that in 1998 Pakistan’s population was about 13.2 crore, and now it has grown to over 24 crores?  Cities, regions, and countries will have to coordinate, invest money, and work together. Even a small change leading to a reduction will be helpful. Rapid population growth and urban expansion are the real-time challenges, and it is up to all of us, the citizens and communities, to collaborate with the authorities to bring about a meaningful change through the implementation of reforms.