Peshawar Clean Air Alliance to launch air quality report next week

PESHAWAR, Apr 07 (APP): Peshawar Clean Air Alliance, group of civil society activists formed to launch ways and measures to tackle toxic emission that pose direct threat to health and contribute to climate change, plans to launch a groundbreaking document, Status of Air Pollution in Peshawar (SAPP) in second week of current month.

According to a press release issued here, the report provides a comprehensive analysis of Peshawar air quality and aims to bridge existing gaps in real time air quality data, with evidence based indicators and future policy direction for Peshawar Air-Quality Management Plan (PAQMP).

It shall enable policy makers towards multi-sectoral and integrated governance on air quality mitigation, and intergovernmental collaboration with the civil society, the statement added.

Peshawar has been ranked as one of the 10 most polluted cities of the world with hazardous air quality, the statement continued. The demographic explosion, increase in unchecked industrial and vehicular traffic, there is an urgent need for immediate remedial action.

The public health indicators show an increase in respiratory and heart diseases, cognitive impairments and even malignancies in the long term.

A robust air quality policy is long overdue as it has adverse public health and economic impacts on the population, it stressed.

With multiple sources of emissions including formal and informal industrial, vehicular, brick kilns and municipal waste incineration, the report serves as an eye opener with regards to transport and vehicular sector being the top contributor that deserves immediate action plan alongside other sectors.

This report will no doubt help focus policy action towards the neglected transport sector, it added.

Improving air quality is a long term effort. It requires a shared vision that’s longer than the political cycle and a multi-sectoral approach as envisioned by the air quality report. This also serves to align with the ambitious KP Climate Change Policy & Action plan 2022 which is poised to lead in reduction of existing emissions to 50% in line with proposed national targets by 2030.

The 2021 WHO report ranks air pollution as the world’s most serious environmental health threat globally.

In 2021, the deaths of 40,000 children under the age of five were directly linked to PM2.5 air pollution. During COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have found that exposure to PM2.5 increases both the risk of contracting the virus and of suffering more severe symptoms when infected, including death.

Hence, interactive partnerships among the civil society, academia, and public health experts and government can realize the vision for healthy Peshawar.

At launch of the air quality report, PCAA is looking forward to working in liaison with EPA and the government of KP for the fulfillment of a shared vision of clean air in Peshawar, and KP.