Karachi’s air pollution crisis looms as watchdogs appear rudderless — Part 3

Experts call for real-time monitoring, open data, and public accountability to combat Karachi’s toxic air

By Mukhtar Alam

KARACHI: As Karachi’s residents grapple with worsening air quality, environmental experts are warning that without transparent monitoring, credible data, and coordinated governance, efforts to improve the city’s air will remain cosmetic. They describe the situation as a “public health emergency hidden in plain sight,” demanding science-led action and accountability.

Senior consultant ecologist Rafiul Haq calls Karachi’s air-quality crisis “off the charts.” For him, this is no distant threat but a rapidly escalating emergency that undermines health, productivity, and quality of life. “Delay now means paying a far higher price later, in both lives and livelihoods,” he cautions, stressing the need for immediate and bold reforms — including tighter vehicle emission standards, strict industrial compliance, expansion of public transport, development of green buffer zones, and establishment of a robust real-time monitoring system.

Haq insists that Karachi can no longer rely on fragmented or short-term measures. “Tackling air pollution with piecemeal fixes is like trying to put out a house fire with a teacup of water,” he notes. Instead, Karachi requires a coordinated strategy — one where government policy sets the direction, enforcement prevents corner-cutting, technology delivers real-time insights, and citizens actively protect the air they breathe.

“A citywide, real-time network is the equivalent of a doctor’s diagnostic tools — without it, you’re treating the patient blindfolded,” Haq remarks.

While the city works toward such a backbone, he suggests bridging current gaps through lower-cost options like portable sensors, satellite data, mobile monitoring units, and even citizen-science platforms.

Rafiul Haq 

Recalling the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)’s earlier support for air monitoring stations that eventually fell into disuse, Haq points out that “technology alone doesn’t solve problems — people, systems, and ownership do.”

“Future projects must be Karachi-owned, citizen-linked, and policy-driven,” he says. “They should be backed by sustained funding and local capacity, not just donor cycles.”

Transparency, he adds, is the linchpin of accountability. “Data locked away in reports no one reads is as good as no data at all,” Haq remarks. He calls for public dashboards, mobile alerts, school curriculum integration, and policy briefs to ensure information spurs both awareness and action.

Clean air is the foundation of a thriving city

Identifying transport and industry as Karachi’s main pollution sources, Haq highlights dust from construction, unpaved roads, waste burning, and generator emissions as aggravating factors. “What we have is a toxic cocktail of emissions and neglect,” he observes.

He advocates a multi-front offensive: cleaner fuels, industrial scrubbers, upgraded emission standards, improved waste management, and strong investment in public transport. “Each of these interventions is critical, but together they form the roadmap for cleaner air,” he says.

Civil society, research institutions, and private initiatives, he adds, must act as the bridge between science, policy, and the public. Their sustained role is vital for awareness, credible data collection, and policy accountability.

“Clean air isn’t a luxury — it’s the foundation of a healthy, thriving city,” Haq concludes. “Without it, Karachi cannot achieve sustainable development or resilience.”

(This is Part 3 of our series on Karachi’s worsening air pollution crisis, originally published in the weekly Social Track, Karachi.)

Next in Part 4 (tomorrow): Government agencies outline their response and plans to strengthen air-quality monitoring in Karachi.