It is good to see that the Interim government of Bangladesh has acknowledged under the adviser for the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Rizwana Hasan, that air pollution is a major and persistent issue in South Asian megacities like Dhaka including Delhi,  Karachi, Lahore, and Kathmandu as well. 

A brief summary of the sources of the pollution will tell you the following; rapid urbanisation and outdated vehicle fleets contribute heavily to air pollution via vehicular emissions. InIndustrial Activities like Brick kilns, textile factories, and other unregulated industries release pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, NOx, and SO2.Along with construction dust of unregulated construction and demolition activities increase particulate matter in the air. The use of biomass and coal for cooking and heating in low-income areas adds to indoor and outdoor air pollution from household emissions. Then we have of course, the seasonal burning of crops  agricultural residues (notably in India and Pakistan) spiking pollution levels, especially during winter from across the Indian sub-continent. Finally and not least the open waste burning municipal waste, including plastics, is common due to inadequate waste management systems.

The health impacts are considerable with a high prevalence of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular issues, and premature deaths with children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable. Cities like Delhi and Lahore frequently report AQI levels in the “hazardous” category. It also greatly reduces visibility and damages the ecosystem, as part of the environment cost of air pollution and then we have of course economic losses from healthcare costs and decreased worker productivity. Not surprising it all has a huge impact on livebility of urban centres and the appeal to visiting tourists. 

There are of course, huge policy and governance challenges starting with weak enforcement of environmental regulations; lack of regional coordination among countries; insufficient infrastructure for public transport and waste management and finally inadequate real-time air quality monitoring and public awareness.

Last but not least we have regional and seasonal patterns to contend with like during the winter months we see severe smog due to temperature inversion and crop burning. All compounded with transboundary pollution affects multiple countries simultaneously across the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Some mitigation efforts are ongoing but inadequate like the introduction of CNG vehicles and promotion of electric mobility; policies to phase out brick kilns or upgrade to cleaner technologies; tree plantation drives and awareness campaigns and of course efforts to improve public transportation systems.

So air pollution in South Asian megacities is a complex, multi-sectoral issue with severe health and environmental consequences. While some efforts are underway, stronger political will, regional cooperation, and investment in sustainable urban infrastructure are essential to make meaningful progress. Much of course can be learnt from the Chinese huge efforts in their cities, but will they have encountered many of the issues involved in South Asia mega cities. This may be quite a rude awaken for them for sure!  

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