Experts stress cooperation to tackle air pollution

The Indo-Pakistan Climate Collective (IPCC), a bilateral forum of scientists and civil society coalition, in its first-ever annual report, has underscored the need for enhanced cooperation in the realm and knowledge and data sharing to counter the menace of transboundary air pollution.

The report was jointly launched online by the IPCC and Sustainable Development Policy Institute on Wednesday.

Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Executive Director, Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, said the three aspects the study has identified as prime sources of pollution in the region are agricultural waste burning, transport emissions and industrial emissions, which are important to manage the crisis.

The crop residue burning, which he pointed out is done over a short period, is more visible but the transport and industrial emissions are the slow poisons tainting our atmosphere day by day.

“We can identify areas and develop synergies in research and policy discourse whereas the civil society organisations (CSOs), researchers and experts’ role is critical to take further the message to create paths that are not being explored for solutions,” Dr Suleri maintained.

The report is a guiding document for the scientific community and the decision makers to take ways to curb the menace of air pollution, he said, adding that “we are happy to be part of this study as it has broken many myths existing between the two countries around the issue of air pollution.”

Dr Happymon Jacob, Associate Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi said keeping in view the magnitude of the risk posed by transboundary air pollution both the countries can benefit from bilateral collaboration in managing research on the issue.

“Indo-Pak ties need to move away from non-cooperation attitude to cooperation, which is crucial and it should be made in a consistent and coordinated manner for logical discourse,” he said. Dr Jacob noted that climate cooperation was the most achievable thing if done bilaterally.

Dr Tishya Khillare, Fellow of IPCC, said that the year 2023 was the inaugural year of Indo-Pak Climate Collective forum that focused on transboundary pollution. She said that the report was authored by climate experts and scientists from various countries wherein they suggested collaborative measures on a regional scale for effective solutions. However, she said, expanding collaborations and engagement through meetings and dialogues to ensure the exchange of experiences and information across the two countries through joint efforts was important for improving air quality monitoring.

Chandra Bhushan, President and CEO of International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST) while congratulating the forum on the report launch said: “It’s the beginning and not the end that will usher in a new era of opportunities through robust processes to take the effort forward. The Indo-Pak civil society should sit together and do some meaningful work as this entire process has given more confidence to bring South Asia closer on environmental issues like water, climate change, and internal and external migration that demand region-wide solutions, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2024.