Every winter, a thick blanket of hazardous smog envelops the Indian subcontinent, surpassing territorial borders, and uniting the people of Pakistan and India in a deadly struggle against the same poisonous air. The two most populous cities of both the countries, Lahore and Delhi bear the brunt of the polluted air, leading halting of normal life activities, plummeting visibility, andr rising respiratory diseases. While the smog’s catastrophic consequences form a superficial connection between the two, it could also serve as an initial step for clearing the air between India and Pakistan for peace.
Smog, has become a major environmental issue within the Indo- Pak region, particularly India and Pakistan. A combination of factors, such as burning stubble, brick kilns, urbanization, industrialization, rapid increase in vehicles and poor quality fuel used in vehicles have contributed to worsened air quality and increased pollution across the region. Currently, Lahore holds the title for most polluted city world wide, with a hazardous air quality index of 990 US AQI+ and 571.5µg/m³ concentration of PM2.5 pollutants, an alarming 114.3 times the annual WHO annual air quality guideline value. Similarly, Delhi follows closely as the second most polluted city, with a deteriorating air quality index of 444 US AQI+, and 285µg/m³ concentration of PM2.5 pollutants.
After years of stagnant relations, environmental diplomacy can serve as a catalyst in peace-building, paving a neutral space for dialogues. Historical precedents, Indus Water Treaty (1960), serves as a rare example of how rare cooperation between India-Pakistan has withstood time despite grievances. Environmental cooperation can adopt a politically neutral route, where both nations could help in framing a joint action plan against the transnational threat of smog. With the rising hazardous threat of smog, the Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz has called for “climate diplomacy”, accentuating that both states need to cooperate for addressing smog. Such verbal acclamations are useless until a practical action has been adopted, and at present Punjab government has not adopted any practical measures to initiate climate diplomacy with India.
Despite such verbal announcements, skeptics argue that years of animosity cannot be undone by simply addressing smog concerns. There is some truth to this narrative—a handful environmental initatives have been able to dissolve decades of hostility. However, climate diplomacy on shared environmental concerns could serve to thaw the stagnant frozen relations. Both governments have implemented numerous domestic measures to combat the smog crisis, but have failed to achieve aspired goals. A transnational effort could prove to be far more effective in addressing the climate change at a regional level. Meanwhile, environmental advocates and optimists hope that shared crisis could be the catalyst needed for a new era of cooperation between two countries.
Spurred by the smog, a number of joint climate actions could help lessen the impact of toxic environment, and in-return could foster renewed diplomatic relations. Primarily, collaboration among various governmental and academic institutions of Pakistan and India, such as India’s Council on Energy, Environment and Water and Pakistan’s Environmental Protection Agency could foster solution-based research to address smog, study regional impacts and identify shared environmental challenges. Academic partnerships could play an active role in trust-building and developing effective solutions.
A major barrier in joint climate initiatives is the lack of reliable data, which fuels mutual blame for the smog and obstructs efficient actions. For progress, India and Pakistan must share their environmental data records to ensure a transparent overview of the region. Data sharing is not a new precedent, a 1989 agreement to exchange hydrological data, although discontinued in 2019, showed the potential for cooperation. Another option could be sharing of modern technology and equipment between both states to further strengthen this effort. For instance, India’s “Happy seeder”-which reduces stubble burning, and “Cloud Seeding” technologies could assist in improving Pakistan’s air quality initiatives. Similarly, Pakistan’s mechanized crop management methods could be share with Indians to address root cause of smog. These modern equipment’s show how technological cooperation could lead two arch-rivals towards mutual benefits.
Climate diplomacy extends beyond governments; it requires public support as well. Bridging historical rivalries and uniting people against a shared environmental threat posits one of the greatest challenges to execute an efficient action plan. In this scenario, engaging younger Gen-Z population could be game-changing, as these youngsters are often thought to be more tolerant and open to reducing tensions between India and Pakistan. If strategically empowered, they could play a transformative role in climate advocacy and encouraging reconciliation. Moreover, tackling smog requires year-round sustained commitment, not just limited to winter endeavors. A collaborative effort of public and governments of both countries need to work consistently to address smog and prevent it from reaching hazardous levels.
Yet, for any of these pursuits to succeed, it highly depends upon the political will of the political authorities. Nevertheless, how many promising solutions are proposed, smog will continue to remain a persistent threat unless both governments are willing to move beyond historical grievances. Both the public and leaders must put aside their past tensions to protect their present and future generations. In light of this complex dynamics, smog could serve as a stimulus for peace, but only if the actors involved are committed to a year-around collaboration.
Maha Shahid is an aspiring student who is currently studying International Relations from National Defense University, Islamabad. Maritime affairs, foreign affairs and Asian issues are her major areas of interest.
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