Pakistan, like many other South Asian countries, has seen an alarming increase in pollution indices, with the country having one of the world’s poorest air quality.
According to IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, Pakistan had the second poorest air quality in 2023, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 73.7 μg/m³.
IQAir assesses air quality levels based on the concentration of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5, which should not exceed 5μg/m³ (World Health Organization).
According to the research, PM2.5 readings in Islamabad increased to their highest ever levels recorded in the city’s seven-year existence.Meanwhile, Lahore, which was recorded as the world’s most polluted city in March 2023, has seen an increase of over 20μg/m³ in its PM2.5 levels, which have reached 99.5µg/m3. The city’s monthly average of PM2.5 level reached 251µg/m3 in November last year, leading to the courts directing the government to impose a “smog emergency” in the provincial capita.
