PESHAWAR: The participants of a webinar on “International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies” Tuesday called for implementation of already existing rules and regulations in Pakistan to control air pollution.
They said that there were various regulations in Pakistan related to air pollution however, monitoring and enforcement of the law remained deficient, adding that Pakistan has national environmental quality standards (NEQS) for air quality.
The webinar was organized by the Environment Society, University of Peshawar to mark the UN’s “International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies” which is observed on September 7. This is the second year that this day has been celebrated globally since it was introduced in 2020. Speaking on the occasion, the host and moderator of the event Dr Asif Khan Khattak gave a brief background to the global health problem due to air pollution.
Dr Saeeda Yousuf gave a talk on the economic valuation of clean air. She explained the health-related economic burden due to air pollution and said that air pollution is a health concern, by improving air quality the society can achieve socio-economic benefits and better health of its citizens.
Prof Dr Hizbullah Khan, gave a historical perspective of air pollution and explained the importance of pollution prevention and use of various technologies for clean air. He said, “Certain control measures have been used in industries and vehicles, e.g., the use of catalytic converters which convert the toxic air pollutants into environment friendly gases”.
“We cannot stop air pollution, but research is continuously going on to understand how we can curtail, mitigate and control the emissions of these air pollutants,” he said. Dr Shahla Nazneen, gave a comprehensive overview of the various regulations in Pakistan related to air pollution by quoting the relevant sections of the laws.
Prof Dr Muhammad Nafees, the Chairman of the department, gave a presentation on air pollution and trees. He explained how the trees act as carbon sinks and absorb carbon dioxide from the air but that is not sufficient. The participants included students of the university, faculty members, and members from other organizations and institutions.