As Pakistanis grapple with the ongoing socio-political, economic, and security issues, they also remain threatened by climate-induced challenges such as air pollution, risking not only their habitat but also their overall health and well-being.
In an annual Air Quality Index (AQLI) report produced by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute (EPIC), the adverse effects of the country’s worsening air pollution has been found to significantly affect the life expectancy of its citizens.
According to the report, Pakistanis — as part of South Asia, the world’s most polluted region — are exposed to particulate pollution levels that are 22.3% higher than that experienced at the turn of the century.
The report maintained that since virtually the entire population of Pakistan breathes air that doesn’t meet the PM2.5 standard set at 15 µg/m³, people’s life expectancy could be increased by 2.3 years if the country is able to meet its own PM2.5 standard.
“In Pakistan, where the PM2.5 concentration was 38.9 µg/m³ in 2022 — 10% lower compared to the particulate levels in 2021, the average resident would gain 3.3 years from meeting the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline,” read the AQLI 2024 annual update.
“Those in Peshawar, the most polluted city in the country, would gain 5.6 years,” it added.
