Rising air pollution in Pakistan could reduce life expectancy by at least seven years in some of the country’s most polluted areas, including Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, and Peshawar, according to a report released on Tuesday by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) in its most recent Air Quality Life Index (AQLI).
According to the AQLI, a pollution index that translates particle air pollution into its effect on life expectancy, particulate pollution is the second leading cause of death in Pakistan (after cardiovascular diseases).
If Pakistan follows World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations to limit average annual PM 2.5 concentrations to 5 micrograms per cubic metre, the average Pakistani person might live an additional 3.9 years.
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Maternal and newborn diseases, child and maternal malnutrition, and obesity, on the other hand, all reduce life expectancy by 2.7 years.
Pakistan’s 240 million citizens all live in areas where the average annual particle pollution level exceeds WHO standards.
According to the study, 98.3% of the country’s population lives in areas where the air quality level of 15 micrograms per cubic metre is surpassed.
According to the AQLI, Pakistan’s average annual particle pollution rose by 49.9% from 1998 to 2021, which decreased life expectancy by 1.5 years
