Clean tech

This smog season, AQI levels exceeding 1,000 have become routine, with Multan even breaching the 2,000 mark. Hospitals are overflowing with patients suffering from respiratory ailments, their numbers a stark testament to the invisible enemy in the air.

The health of cities and their residents is deeply intertwined with the planning, design, and construction of the built environment. The interaction of the built and the unbuilt, of the grey with the green and blue infrastructure, is a key determinant of the quality of life in a city.

The Interior Division has reiterated the urgent need for full funding to ensure uninterrupted security services, particularly for foreign nationals working on the project.

Cities like Stockholm, Kigali, and Bengaluru offer examples of successful waste management strategies that have drastically reduced open waste burning. These cities demonstrate that change is possible with strong political will, effective policies, and public engagement.

Nearly half of PM2.5 pollution in the worst-affected countries comes from the burning of fossil fuels, biomass, and agricultural waste – also major contributors to climate change. As extreme weather events worsen due to climate change, air pollution is expected to become an even greater threat, UNICEF warned.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched several schemes targeting pollution control, afforestation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable resource management.

We need to think innovatively regarding chemicals of concern, taking inspiration from existing agreements that protect us from harmful chemicals.

According to Oxfam, the world’s richest 1 per cent are responsible for 15 per cent of global emissions. This class is mostly made up of millionaires, who now total nearly 60 million globally and are projected to grow in number to over 65 million by 2028