Islamabad, Dec 10 (NationPress) Lahore has achieved the dubious distinction of being the most polluted city globally, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeding 300, as reported by the Swiss air quality monitoring organization IQAir. The air quality has been described as extremely unhealthy in various regions across Pakistan, according to local media reports on Wednesday.

With an AQI of 353, Lahore secured the top position among the world’s most polluted urban areas. Quetta, with an alarming AQI of 517, was recorded as the most polluted city in Pakistan during the morning hours.

Air quality readings indicated unhealthiness in Rahim Yar Khan, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad, while dense fog blanketed the plains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Punjab, leading to poor visibility on highways, as mentioned by ARY News.

Several sections of motorways were closed due to this poor visibility.

In early 2024, Lahore was engulfed in smog, a hazardous mix of fog and pollutants, primarily caused by low-quality diesel emissions and smoke from seasonal agricultural burning, coinciding with a drop in temperatures.

Pollution levels in Lahore have previously soared to over 80 times the safety limits established by the World Health Organization (WHO).

A report from November highlighted that Pakistan, with a low Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.544—placing it 168th in the world—and a 15th position in the Climate Risk Index 2026, grapples with significant socio-economic and environmental challenges that successive administrations have struggled to address.

These challenges are compounded by increasing rainfall in catchment areas, which accelerates siltation in major dams, thereby reducing water storage capacity and heightening flood risks.

Rising temperatures exacerbate heat and water stress, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, adversely affecting agricultural productivity.

Simultaneously, air pollution from transportation, industry, and agriculture contributes to smog, which disrupts aviation, diminishes visibility, and leads to respiratory diseases.

Abdul Waheed Bhutto, a prominent figure with extensive publications on renewable energy, climate change mitigation, and sustainable resource management, shared insights in The Diplomat.

In his article, Bhutto noted, "The country's diminishing forest cover continues to shrink, while coastal ecosystems are threatened by saline water intrusion in the Indus Delta—jeopardizing mangroves, fisheries, and agriculture. Rising sea levels and intensifying cyclonic activity pose further risks to coastal communities, while escalating disputes over water sharing, public health crises, and climate-induced migration highlight Pakistan's extreme vulnerability."

The Indus Basin is undergoing severe stress due to over-extraction and climate change, with NASA ranking it as the world’s second-most overstressed aquifer in 2015, cautioning that ongoing groundwater depletion could worsen regional water shortages.

Major cities in Pakistan, including Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, persistently face hazardous smog.

The economic repercussions of extreme weather events further intensify the crisis in Pakistan.