Air Quality Degradation in Metropolitan Areas: Causes, Effects, and Policy Solutions in Pakistan

Abstract

There are serious physiological, climatic, and economic effects of motor vehicle-induced urban air pollution, which is an increasing global concern. Increased mortality rates in urban areas are a result of growing pollution levels. Environmental conditions are deteriorating due to harmful pollutants like lead, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxides, CFCs, and particle matter. Urban air pollution has increased due to rapid motorization in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other low-income, industrializing regions, making socioeconomic and health issues worse. This study identifies the institutional, behavioral, and technological factors that contribute to the local, regional, and global impacts of vehicle emissions. Additionally, it examines the policy measures put in place to reduce pollution and the difficulties encountered in implementing them. Based on Pakistan's recent experience, the report offers guidance on how to successfully reduce air pollution caused by transportation while taking into account local requirements, capacities, and constraints. These results provide important insights for comparable emerging nations aiming to control urban air quality sustainably.