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Indian foreign relations

India and Pakistan Can Breathe Easier on Shared Issues

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attends the SCO summit in Islamabad, climate experts believe that the two countries can find common ground on environmental issues, particularly air pollution, which affects 1.5 billion people in the region. According to the World Bank, Delhi and Lahore rank among the cities with the worst air quality. Environment lawyer Ahmad Rafay Alam suggests that clean air should be a top agenda item for discussion at the summit, as it is a matter that can be addressed through scientific evidence and cooperation.

Key Takeaways:

  • The SCO summit provides an opportunity for cross-border discussions on pollution, particularly air pollution, which affects 1.5 billion people in the region.
  • Climate experts agree that environmental issues can be a shared agenda for India and Pakistan, particularly air pollution, which is a transboundary problem that requires a shared strategy to eliminate.
  • Research has found a connection between air pollution and the health of newborn babies, including low birthweight, miscarriages, and stillbirths.
  • Particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres is a real culprit, affecting heart and lungs when inhaled, and can cause asthma, reduced brain volume, and impaired lung growth in young children.
  • India's 2017 Odisha Millet Mission, a transition to a more equitable food system, can be tweaked and replicated in Pakistan as a climate-smart grain that can be grown in areas prone to drought and heat stresses.
  • The Lahore Biennale 03 features artwork highlighting air pollution in Lahore, an example of how art can take the discussion out of policy language and speak directly to the heart.
  • Abid Omar, a clean air campaigner and the artist's model, suggests that the digital artwork can be projected on buildings in Islamabad and Karachi after the summit to educate and inform the masses.
  • A trial meeting in Nairobi organized by the UK-based ConAcciliatory ReCAAsoAurces recommended greater cross-border engagement between India and Pakistan on air pollution, including knowledge-sharing and treating the issue as a year-round problem.

Statistics:

  • 1.5 billion people in the two countries are exposed to air pollution (World Bank).
  • Delhi and Lahore rank among the cities with the worst air quality, according to IQAir's air quality data.
  • Particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres can cause 200,000 premature deaths in the region, which can be reduced through a shared strategy to eliminate air pollution.
  • 2017 Odisha Millet Mission brought millet back on the farmer's radar and people's menu, and can be replicated in Pakistan as a climate-smart grain.

Sources:

  • World Bank
  • IQAir
  • Environment lawyer Ahmad Rafay Alam
  • Abid Omar, clean air campaigner
  • Lahore Biennale 03
  • UK-based ConAcciliatory ReCAAsoAurces
  • Nairobi meeting report
  • India's 2017 Odisha Millet Mission report

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