Abid Omar, a long-time Beijing, China resident originally from Pakistan, made waves with his outdoor citizen network of AirVisual Pro air quality monitors. The data he compiled had an important impact on his country's response to the air pollution problem.

Pakistan's one-man air pollution solution

Winter begins a distinct time of year in Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city – pollution season. The onset of the season is dramatic. There are often numerous reports of smog greatly reducing visibility, slowing daily activities, and increased road accidents and flight cancellations.

Despite the obvious effects of the thick air pollution, Pakistan’s government had not released any real-time, official air quality monitoring data to openly quantify the level and hazard of the smog prior to Omar’s activism. But Lahore residents can thank a single clean air activist for pushing the national debate right up to government level, armed with his citizen network of AirVisual Pro air quality monitors and air quality data.¹

Air pollution awareness is the key

Upon returning to Pakistan from Beijing, Abid noticed that the primary difference in dealing with the air pollution problem in China and Pakistan was people’s level of awareness. According to Abid, without data, “people just think it’s foggy.”

In Beijing, live air quality measurements are broadcast in elevators and on TV screens alongside weather information. “That’s what awareness looks like,” said Abid.

Pakistan Air Quality Initiative (PAQI)

The U.S. Embassy previously launched a game-changing campaign of tweeting air quality measurements in the Chinese capital. Abid was inspired to do something similar in his home country. But first, he needed data.

That’s when he decided to take his country’s lack of public air quality data into his own hands by setting up a network of public outdoor AirVisual air quality monitors within four major Pakistani cities:

• Lahore
• Karachi
• Peshawar
• Islamabad

The air quality monitors have been measuring and broadcasting the cities’ air quality readings ever since on the AirVisual app and website. The air quality information is also publicly posted on Abid’s own dedicated community platform: the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative.²

AirVisual Pro data in the courtroom

In Lahore, Pakistan’s 2nd-largest city, Abid’s monitors have revealed clearly poor air quality. Lahore has appeared on IQAir’s ranking of the world’s most polluted cities numerous times, above notorious “smoggy cities” such as Beijing, New Delhi, and Dhaka, sparking considerable debate on social media. That debate culminated in a public interest petition to review the government’s air pollution response being heard by the Chief Justice of Lahore’s High Court.

Following requests for data by the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA or PEPA), Abid provided his AirVisual Pro monitoring network’s historical data to the hearing as supplementary evidence. Rafay Alam, an environmental lawyer based in Lahore, was appointed the hearing's amicus curiae and brought an AirVisual air quality monitor with him into the courtroom.

Alam produced his monitor for display early into the proceedings, bringing a surprising discovery to the courtroom: the indoor air quality during the hearing measured over400μg/m³ (that equates to US AQI 434+, well over the highest “Hazardous” tier threshold). The Court then asked for a reading to be taken outside, which showed as close to 500μg/m³. Alam said that this “changed the nature of proceedings.”

The hearing then consulted the government’s existing smog policy and found that any PM2.5 reading above 300μg/m³ is considered “Severe” – the highest category. PEPA was then asked to disclose their previously unpublished readings from a set of recently installed air monitors. The measurements were similar to the AirVisual monitor for the same time period as the hearing.

With the severe level of air pollution indicated by the AirVisual data validated, the Court ordered the Government of Punjab to prepare and submit a smog response policy the very same day.

A court order has since been released, outlining a temporary Smog Health Emergency Action Plan to be put into place immediately, and more detailed plans followed.³ The order also demanded that the government monitoring readings be published once daily until real-time data is available to share.

Has air pollution in Pakistan improved?

There is some evidence that Pakistan’s policies may have had a positive impact on the country’s air quality.

According to the World Air Quality Report, annual PM2.5 levels in Pakistan averaged 74.3 µg/m³ in 2018. In 2019, the average dropped to 65.8 and as low as 57 in 2020. These reductions mark a significant decrease in a deadly pollutant in a short number of years.

However, even with these improvements, air quality remains a serious concern in Pakistan. Even with the reduction in PM2.5, Lahore experienced smog in May, June, and December of 2020.⁴

Overall reductions in PM2.5 may also be attributed to fewer people commuting and the global economy – including pollution-emitting industries – slowing in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The takeaway

Regardless of what improved Pakistan’s air quality, all it took was one determined air quality citizen scientist installing AirVisual air quality monitors to compel a country’s top government policymakers into taking action.

Abid’s proactive commitment to raise awareness local air quality proves the incredible change a single concerned community member can create.