Enveloped in Haze – Pakistan’s Air Quality & Health Challenges

Season 2: Episode 8

Every year as summer descends, Lahore observes a drastic change in air quality. The PM2.5 concentration in Lahore is currently 90.3 times greater than the WHO annual air quality guideline value. Hence, air pollution remains a critical issue with serious health consequences, specifically in Lahore. However, there is an overlap between concerns regarding emissions as a contributor to global warming and air pollution as a local health problem. Dr. Kulsum Ahmed and Dr. Sanval Nasim distinguish between the emissions that cause global warming and emissions that cause local health problems and navigate through the policy-related aspects of bringing air pollution down.

Dr. Kulsum Ahmed has over 30 years of experience in sustainable development, climate and environmental sustainability, working with a variety of stakeholders in the public and private sectors. She worked at the World Bank for 24 years and has established and led the Bank-wide global programs on environmental institutions and governance. She studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University and has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Imperial College, London.

Dr. Sanval Nasim is an assistant professor of Economics at Colby College and was previously an Assistant Professor at the Lahore University of Management and Sciences (LUMS). He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics and Policy from the University of California, Riverside and a B.A. from Colby College. Dr. Sanval’s research interests lie in the environment and political economy.