Last month, the renowned Swiss organization, IQAir, scrutinized data from fourteen regional monitoring stations to classify Lahore, the capital of Pakistan, as the city with the highest pollution levels globally. This revelation stunned the country, as Lahore’s air quality index (AQI) escalated to a shocking 1,165, and later soared to an alarming 1,900.
However, Lahore is not the only city grappling with this environmental crisis. The neighboring countries of India and Pakistan are both battling severe air pollution issues. As the month unfolded, the situation in New Delhi overtook Lahore, with AQI scores predicted to reach 1,081, establishing it as the city with the worst air pollution globally. An AQI score above 300 is considered dangerous to human health.
In recent times, smog has become a common phenomenon in India and Pakistan during the winter season, predominantly caused by vehicle emissions, stubble burning, and industrial pollutants. People are increasingly seeking emergency care due to respiratory distress and other health issues caused by the smog. It’s worth noting that those who work outdoors, including daily wage laborers, construction workers, and migrants, bear the brunt of the pollution.
To address the smog issue, authorities in Delhi implemented the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-4), which includes measures like banning diesel generators, restricting vehicular traffic, and closing schools. Simultaneously, Pakistan has adopted a multi-agency strategy, known as the “smog war room,” to combat the smog crisis. However, both efforts have proven to be insufficient, indicating a governance failure.
As India and Pakistan continue to suffer from this escalating air pollution crisis, calls for cooperation have been amplified. Climate experts are increasingly optimistic that this shared crisis could ignite a diplomatic revival, although both countries continue to struggle with historically tumultuous relations.
Lessons can be learned from the advancements in climate diplomacy between China and the U.S., which highlights that climate-related issues can serve as a bridge in otherwise strained international relations. Jennifer Turner, director of the China Environment Forum, elucidated how both countries view combating climate change as a shared responsibility, driven by the understanding that worsening climate and extreme weather events negatively impact economic and security outcomes.
Both India and Pakistan must recognize smog and climate change as shared threats that endanger human security and potentially impact regional security in an already politically volatile region.
The need for cooperation is further underscored by the ongoing renegotiations of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which had been a model of transboundary cooperation between the two countries until the recent calls for changes due to climate change, national security, and strategic concerns.
The dire air pollution situation presents an opportunity for both countries to usher in a period of peace and cooperation against a larger enemy — climate change. “Air pollution kills more people in India and Pakistan than border conflicts, and that alone should be reason enough for cooperation,” emphasized Pakistani environmental lawyer Rafay Alam.
The example of China-U.S. climate diplomacy also demonstrates that political will is crucial for advancing such diplomatic ties. It’s also important to note that both India and Pakistan view combating climate change as a non-partisan issue, suggesting that cooperation is possible despite changes in administration.
The dialogue between India and Pakistan can be limited initially but could potentially herald a period of discussions for mutual gains, reducing long-standing tensions. As the saying goes, “Air pollution diplomacy might not produce immediate results, but it can serve as a confidence-building mechanism that can open up other areas of discussion,” according to Alam.
In the initial stages, climate diplomacy efforts between India and Pakistan could focus on air pollution and adaptation mechanisms, innovating affordable alternatives to stubble burning, air pollution data sharing, technical cooperation, and policy processes.
Existing intergovernmental forums can play a significant role in promoting larger bilateral and regional climate diplomacy and adaptation efforts between India and Pakistan. For example, the Malé Declaration on the Control and Prevention of Air Pollution could be reinvigorated, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) could provide a neutral space for the two countries to advance smog diplomacy efforts.
Despite the strategic competition, the U.S. and China have maintained significant linkages through think tanks, NGOs, and educational institutions, fostering knowledge sharing and technology transfer. Similarly, while bilateral and intergovernmental diplomacy can be slow and stagnant between India and Pakistan, there is room for Track 2 diplomacy, where civil society-based platforms and forums can foster scientific expertise and collaboration to pursue climate diplomacy discourse.
