The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution kills around 4.2 million people every year. Air pollution is one of the top leading factors for death, yet still, major reform has not been implemented. Recently, Punjab, a province of Pakistan, executed a health emergency caused by toxic smog covering the city of Multan and Lahore, which is now the world’s most polluted city. Air pollution levels have increased to 100 times the WHO air quality recommendation. Air pollution has heightened due to less rainfall than in previous years, as well as the illegal burning of fields by farmers, diesel fumes from vehicles, and cold air trapping dust. The shutdown includes stopping construction, furnace-based plants, kilns, shutting down schools, parks, and museums. This toxic air has not just stopped everyday life but has created grave consequences. According to Salman Kazmi, vice president of the Pakistan Medical Association, “Tens of thousands of patients suffering from respiratory diseases were treated at hospitals and clinics in a week.” Reliance on coal and wood for heat, outdated power plants, badly insulated buildings, and old vehicles contribute to the air pollution and diseases that arise—lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, etc. The full impact of air pollution is now undeniable, and requires an intricate plan involving multiple actors to reduce its severities. 

There have been weak measures created by the government to reduce smog. For instance, in Delhi, smog towers with only a range of 5 kilometers and a cost of nearly 3 million dollars were created in order to increase air quality. After a year of implementation, they are now inactive. According to the United States Institute of Peace, in 1981, a law proclaiming burning anything other than fuel a crime was enacted, but not effectively enforced. Furthermore, India’s government has led to increased burning of fields by mandating delays for certain crops, causing farmers to clear their fields for new ones. In Pakistan, the government has banned the import of dirty fuel and burning to clear fields while promising to improve coal-fired brick kilns. However, these propositions are not implemented well. These examples highlight the poor decision-making state governments can make, inefficiency in the use of resources, and poor management.  

According to the Air Quality Life Index, from 2013 to 2021, 59.1 percent of the world’s increase in pollution has come from India. It seems that efforts have not been made in India to reduce pollution, and measures must begin promptly for their own citizens and play its role as an international actor combating climate change. The smog has also affected India’s major cities, with tourists unable to even take pictures of the Taj Mahal. These drastic consequences have led to the introduction of smog diplomacy. Reported by Arab News, Pakistan’s smog diplomacy initiative is a step in the right direction with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz showing interest in visiting her Indian counterpart to attack the air pollution problem. But this initiative can only work with matching responses from India. The Chief Minister states that “Winds don’t know there is a line [border] in between. This has to be done for the betterment of Indian people and their wellbeing, as well as for Pakistan’s people too.” The interregional approach to policy is crucial for neighboring countries to realize they are affecting each other and join to mitigate pollution.  

Al Jazeera reports that the Malé Declaration, signed in 1998, is the only existing intergovernmental framework in South Asia addressing air pollution and includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The Declaration’s goal is to call for cooperation beyond borders in providing clean air and curbing air pollution and its health effects. This mandate states that the right to a healthy environment is a necessary condition before other basic human rights. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) provided funding for this declaration for over a decade, and there was noticeable progress in regional cooperation on air pollution, building national capacities, assisting policymaking, and exchanging ideas. However, this funding ended, causing a halt to progress. Recently, this declaration was brought back in 2022 through the Stockholm Environment Institute and a UN environment programme, Climate and Clean Air Coalition. The fact that this declaration became inactive is a testament to how much these nations see air pollution as an issue. It is clearly an overlooked health disaster or one not being addressed due to its complexities. Mitigation in previous years could have had an impact on today’s pollutants. The effectiveness of this declaration is not pronounced, as cities in India and Pakistan are still the most polluted cities in the world. In accordance with the Malé Declaration, they are taking away human rights for millions of people. Bolder, innovative solutions need to be implemented.  

I would advocate for a complete overhaul of any factories, buildings, and energy grids that currently do not support environmentally friendly alternatives. Businesses must be able to deal with high upfront costs in order to implement these, and governments should help if businesses cannot afford to, as the future benefits outweigh the immediate costs. A 2019 report from Dalberg, a global consulting firm, found that air pollution cost Indian businesses a staggering $95 billion due to reduced productivity, work absences, and premature deaths. Not only will transformation create a healthy society but increase economic activity.  

These measures are primarily for developing countries, as a lot of people cannot afford certain green technologies as developed countries can. In addition to businesses and industries causing air pollution, it is necessary to address the local cause of air pollution via small farmers burning land and the highly contaminant usage of some household appliances. People need to become aware of the damage pollution can cause and the benefits of clean energy. Governments should implement programs that spread awareness for a widely accepted change. If there is no embrace of these new technologies, pollution will only get worse, and detriment to the environment will increase. There must be clear enforcement toward farmers who incorrectly use land and release harmful pollutants into the air. Enforcement must be strict and well-monitored so that no one can get away with it. To help undergo these measures, lessons in how to correctly maintain farmland and healthy green practices should be taught to local farmers.  

According to the World Bank, around 95% of deaths by air pollution are in developing countries. Back when current Developed countries were developing, there was no worry about climate change, and severe measures were not in place. Now as current developing countries try to grow, they are running into roadblocks in their process not faced by world powers such as the U.S. and Europe. If governments do not want to initiate change for fear of decreasing economic gains, some international actors should step in and provide financial help for a positive transformation toward green energy and a healthier environment. These investments can be paid back and will have a great impact on humanity.  

Across borders, people must be persistent for change. As the smog clears with warmer weather, resuming daily life should not be the top priority. Change needs to be the first. In Pakistan, there are many activists trying to create change. Scary Ammi (Scary Moms in Urdu) group advocates for schools to mandate bussing. In 2020, the UN said 40% of pollution is caused by vehicles, and most, Scary Ammi says, are used to get to school. NPR reports that the government in Lahore was drastically reducing the reality of pollution in Lahore. A private citizen, Abid Omar, made his own readings with a privately owned air quality monitor, revealing the fake figures to the public online. There must be immediate change if the government is not accountable and not looking out for the people in this regard. Citizens should be alarmed, and demand a better environment and a basic human necessity for themselves and future generations.