City of Gardens Struggling to Breathe

Among other crises, Pakistan is facing a severe climate and energy crisis. Because of ill policies over the years, today, Pakistan's energy supply does not match the de­mand, leaving residents in hours-long load shedding. More­over, given the lack of proper planning, record-breaking temperature spikes result in unprecedented yearly heat strokes. Pakistan is home to the highest num­ber of glaciers outside the polar regions, with an estimated 7,000. This number can have dire conse­quences for the country if necessary steps are not taken soon. It is not just the energy shortage but also how that energy is generated: Is it green, renewable, or fossil-based? If it is mixed, how will the country diver­sify its energy portfolio in the coming years?

Out of these expected disasters, Pakistan still has time to draft a good policy plan, unlike Lahore's air pollution fail­ure. In mid-April, the United Nations Climate Change pub­lished a report mentioning the improved air quality in Paris. The graph shows how good policymaking can make a dif­ference, and Paris is not the only example; China and many other states have achieved this target in their own ways. Their methods might differ, but their objective was clear and aligned to make the air safer.

Urban infrastructure and public transport play a signifi­cant part in reducing carbon emissions in a heavily populat­ed city. Clean air seems a luxury until affordable and clean public transport is available. Paris began by reducing the number of parking spots, increasing the number of bicycle lanes, and expanding green spaces. The policy was imple­mented 20 years ago, and the results are promising. Howev­er, this is not the case for South Asia.

Just a few months ago, in December, four major cities with an estimated population of 83 million people living in the vi­cinity, all in South Asia, namely Dhaka, Faisalabad, Lahore, and Delhi, out of these four, three are in the same region of Punjab. Over the last 7-8 years, the air quality in these cit­ies has deteriorated multiple, and the Punjab government is struggling to devise a fruitful long-term plan. Every winter, Lahore, Pakistan's second-most populous city, faces a serious smog season, hospitalizing hundreds for lung diseases as AQI touches hazardous zones. In summer, the region experienc­es severe heat waves, increasing deforestation, and a lack of greenery in the city, resulting in many heat strokes.

According to City Traffic Police Lahore, there are approxi­mately 6.2 million vehicles and 4.2 million motorcycles in La­hore alone, and about 19.6 million cars in the province of Pun­jab. Personal vehicles, given the condition of public transport, have become a transportation priority. Not only does it in­crease pollution and traffic jams, it worsens the parking prob­lem. The government and the private sector are investing in building more parking plazas to accommodate vehicles and avoid traffic jams, but in vain. In Paris, the residents voted in a referendum demanding to convert 500 streets into pedes­trian zones, increasing fines on bigger vehicles such as SUVs, and encouraging a gradual change in consumer behavior.

Paris is a good example of urban policy and development based on well-being. Lahore must find ways to address its increasing pollution, population, and outdated urban plan­ning. Rather than building new parking spots, funds should be allocated to more pressing matters: changing behaviors and developing infrastructure to support a heavily populat­ed region in green and efficient ways. Islamabad must place stricter laws on car manufacturing plants, demanding safer cars based on clean mobility.

It is time to find creative solutions to fight climate change, such as utilizing city spaces effectively. According to the Punjab Mass Transit Authority, Lahore has around 770 pillars as support columns for the Orange Line metro and many others for various flyovers and underpasses. These pillars, now mainly used for advertising and vandalism, can be converted into vertical farming or horticultural ex­ercises. During monsoon season, the rainwater that pres­ently accumulates on the elevated guide-way and support columns of Orange Line Metro merely cascades onto the roadways and is lost; relevant authorities should devise an engineered harvesting system to capture this runoff and re­purpose it for irrigating the vertical farming installations proposed beneath the viaduct. Although it is yet to be de­termined how much this will impact the air quality of La­hore, it will make the city more appealing.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).