Air Quality Management in Pakistani Cities: Trends and Challenges

As impact of airborne pollution been widely recognized, its management is considered as an important component in controlling AQ in the Asian Context. Important parameters and components of Air Quality Management are being discussed. AQ can be improved by integrating a number of technical and management options and financial incentives including, monitoring, evaluation and actions e.g. emission inventorization of various type of activities, estimation of Emission Load & future projections, incorporate atmospheric dispersion models in pollution dispersion / dilution, initiate pollution index levels being monitored / dissipated with weather reports, direct & indirect ecological damage and environmental damage by these emissions in urban environment, direct and indirect health impacts, share in the global climate change & warming by this region, revise Emission Standards for various sources including vehicular emissions, policy options for adoption or Action Plans, calculation of effect of abatement and control measures, establishment, improvement and implementation of air pollution regulations, regulations for development of NAAQS / IAQS, Emission Standards for sources, assess the efficiency of these measures in reducing these pollution levels, enhanced public awareness, and for transport sector (which is the main urban air polluter) better traffic flow and transport management / planning in the urban areas (which has not been given due importance until now in Pakistan), change of technology including fuel substitution & conversion to less polluted fuels (e.g. low Sulphur / Lead fuels, CNG), development/enforcement of vehicular emission standards and using management tool