Presentation given at WWF Pakistan Annual Green Office Conference, on the air pollution situation in Pakistan and on other regions' experiences on effective ways to tackle the problem - with a focus on US, EU and China.

1. Lauri Myllyvirta
lead analyst
Greenpeace Global Air Pollution Unit

2.  Air pollution is responsible for 4.5 million
premature deaths in the world in 2015
(Global Burden of Disease Study)
 WHO: Air pollution is officially classified as a
carcinogen and labeled “a leading
environmental cause of cancer deaths”

3. 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160ug/m3
Annual average PM2.5 levels in Pakistani cities
WHO guideline
Source: WHO Ambient Air Pollution Database, 2018

4. Calculated using Global Burden of Disease 2015
methodology and PM2.5 concentrations from WHO
Ambient Air Pollution database
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Faisalabad
Islamabad
Lahore
Karachi
Rawalpindi
Peshawar
Beijing
Delhi
Increase in the risk of lung cancer
in selected cities due to PM2.5
0% 50% 100% 150% 200%
Faisalabad
Islamabad
Lahore
Karachi
Rawalpindi
Peshawar
Beijing
Delhi
Increase in the risk of stroke in
selected cities due to PM2.5

5. 2007-08
2017-18
Analysis of NASA MODIS data
Aerosolopticaldepth,Dobsonunits

6. 0
50
100
150
200
250
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
Premature deaths per day from ambient air
pollution in Pakistan
Global Burden of Disease 2017

7.  Lahore:
◦ industrial sources, resuspended soil, mobile sources, and two
regional secondary aerosol sources likely from coal and/or
biomass burning (von Schneidemesser et al 2010)
◦ soil/road dust, industrial emissions, vehicular emissions, and
secondary aerosols (Lodhi et al 2009)
◦ diesel emissions (28%), biomass burning (15%), coal combustion
(13%), secondary PM (30%), exhaust from two-stroke vehicles (8%),
and industrial sources (6%) (Raja and others 2010).
 Karachi: industrial emissions (53%), soil/road dust (16%),
and others, including vehicular emissions (18%), sea salt
originating from the Arabian Sea, and secondary aerosols
(Mansha et al 2011)
 Islamabad: automobile emissions, industrial activities,
combustion processes, and mineral dust (Shah and
Shaheen 2007b; Shah, Shaheen, and Nazir 2012).
References:
Husain, L., B. K. Farhana, and B. M. Ghauri. 2007. “Emission Sources and Chemical Composition of the Atmosphere of a Mega-city in South Asia.” Eos Trans AGU
88 (23), Joint Assembly Supplement, A31C–01.
Lodhi, A., G. Badar, M. K. Rafiq, S. Rahman, and S. Shoaib. 2009. “Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Concentration and Source Apportionment in Lahore.” Journal of the
Brazilian Chemical Society 20 (10): 1811–20.
Mansha, M., and B. Ghauri. 2011. “Assessment of Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) in Metropolitan Karachi Through Satellite and Ground-based Measurements.”
Journal of Applied Remote Sensing 5. doi: 10.1117/1.3625615.
Mansha, M., B. Ghauri, S. Rahman, and A. Amman. 2011. “Characterization and Source Apportionment of Ambient Air Particulate Matter (PM2.5) in Karachi.”
Science of the Total Environment. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.10.056.
Raja, S., K. F. Biswas, L. Hisain, and P. K. Hopke. 2010. “Source Apportionment of the Atmospheric Aerosol in Lahore, Pakistan.” Water, Air & Soil Pollution 208
(1–4): 43–57
Shah, M. H., and N. Shaheen. 2007. “Statistical Analysis of Atmospheric Trace Metals and Particulate Fractions in Islamabad, Pakistan.” Journal of Hazardous
Material (Elsevier), 147 (3): 759–67. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2007.01.075.
Shah, M. H., N. Shaheen, and R. Nazir. 2012. “Assessment of the Trace Elements Level in Urban Atmospheric Particulate Matter and Source Apportionment in
Islamabad, Pakistan.” Atmospheric Pollution Research. doi: 10.5094/APR.2012.003.
von Schneidemesser, E., E. A. Stone, T. Quraishi, M. M. Shafer, and J. J. Schauer. 2010. “Toxic Metals in the Atmosphere in Lahore, Pakistan.” Science of the Total
Environment 408 (7): 1640–48

8. Sundar industrial estate
Nishat oil-fired power plant
Industry cluster in Sheikhupura
https://energydesk.carto.com/builder/4c2ece4f-3367-4432-a418-8ce61ca01801/embed

10. 0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
European Union United States
Deaths per day from ambient air
pollution
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
China

11. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Population exposed to air pollution
exceeding standards, European
Union
PM2.5 PM10 NO2
United States

12.  Comprehensive air pollution monitoring
network: real-time and yearly data
 Setting targets & timelines for air quality
improvement with clear accountability
 National regional air pollution action plans
targeting all key sectors and pollutants
 Emission standards: power plants, industry,
transport
 Investment in clean energy, sustainable
transport
 Cleaner economic structure

13.  Comprehensive network of air quality
monitoring stations with real-time and
periodic data disclosure
 Stack emission data and annual emission
statistics

14. aqicn.org
India: 50+ cities
China: 400+ cities
EU&U.S.: 1000+ cities

15.  U.S., EU revise air quality standards and set
deadline for compliance
 China sets air quality improvement targets
with deadlines
 National/regional, state/province, city level
action plans that are projected to enable
compliance
 Offending areas can face legal /
administrative action

16. 0
100
200
300
400
500
600
0
300
600
900
1200
1500
1800
China European
Union
U.S. India,
from
2017
Thailand Pakistan IFC
Particles,mg/Nm3
SO2andNOx,mg/Nm3
Emission limits for new coal-fired power plants
SO2 NOx Particles

18.  China: all power demand growth covered
mainly from non-fossil energy since 2013
 U.S.: Power generation with coal fell 40% in
10 years! Renewable electricity grew 180%.
 EU: Coal use fell 17% in past 10 years,
renewable electricity generation grew 4-fold
 India: rapid decrease in costs with scaling up:
both wind and solar more affordable than
new coal

22. 2007-08
2017-18
SO2
pollution
levels now
and 10
years ago

23. 2007-08
2017-18
NO2
pollution
levels now
and 10
years ago

26. SO2
NOx
PM2.5