ISLAMABAD, June 29, press release issued by Fair Finance Pakistan: 68,100 children under five years of age died in Pakistan in 2021 due to high exposure to air pollution. Latest State of Global Air 2024, released in partnership with UNICEF reports air pollution is the second leading risk factor for death among children under five.
The report estimates Pakistan has the largest burden of disease linked to air pollution after India and China at 256,000 deaths per annum. Pakistan has experienced increases of more than 10% in ambient ozone exposures in the last decade, and had the highest average ozone exposure in 2020.
Early exposure to high levels of PM 2.5, ozone, nitrogen oxides begins in the womb and increases children’s susceptibility to pre-term births, respiratory infections, stunting, cancers and cognitive development. The report investigates 30% of all deaths in the first month after birth are linked to exposure to air pollution in South Asia including Pakistan.
Long-term exposures to air pollutants can last a lifetime, including impaired lung growth. UNICEF estimates children who live in polluted environments can have their lung capacity reduced by 20%. It also results in higher risk for chronic diseases later in life which may cause economic losses due to high disease burden, loss of productivity etc.
In his X statement, Asim Jaffry, Country Program Lead, Fair Finance Pakistan shared, “Children are far too young and far too burdened by air pollution. Engaging national financial sector to scale up financing of pollution-free and circular solutions and a systematic shift in our production and consumption models is vital to overcome economic losses and disease burden from air pollution. This require significant funding directed to innovative business models and activities. Clean air is a share priority and requires multi-lateral solutions.”
Pakistan is already the second most air polluted country in the world with average concentrations of PM 2.5 14 times higher above WHO levels. Poor air quality shortens life expectancy by upto 7 years in the country, adversely impacts human health and increases the burden of disease.
State of Global Air 2024 reports nitrogen oxide (NO2) is common pollutant in urban areas and a marker of traffic-related air pollution. NO2 is the air pollutant most consistently related to asthma incidence amongst children. Sectoral Emissions inventory of Punjab from the Urban Unit, Govt. of Punjab reports road transport contributes 83% of air pollution in urban center of Lahore, third most air polluted city in the world. While the Urban Unit has data analysis on air pollution for the past three decades, lack of data sharing and coordination with national policy and regulatory institutes has deterred policy direction and implementation to move towards compliance standards of Euro 6 and Euro 7.
Since 2012 countries like Brazil, Chile, Russia, Turkey, China, Argentina, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam have been in compliance with Euro 5 emissions standards however Pakistan is still far behind with Euro 2 emission standards. Lack of policy action has costed newborns and young people their lives to air pollution.
About Fair Finance Pakistan
Fair Finance Pakistan is a member of Fair Finance Asia (www.fairfinanceasia.org) and Fair Finance International (www.fairfinanceguide.org/) and seeks to strengthen the commitment of financial institutions in Pakistan to social, environmental and human rights standards. FF Pakistan urges these FIs to respect and enhance local communities’ social and environmental well-being and to integrate ESG criteria in their business operations. Read more at pakistan.fairfinanceasia.org.
Contact: Huma Iqbal, Communications Consultant, Fair Finance Pakistan
Email: huma.iqbal@fairfinancepakistan.org
Cell: 0301 8562577