Dr. Mahmood A Khwaja
The Dawn
Published Date: Jan 13, 2014
Letters to Editor Foggy days
THIS refers to ‘Foggy days ‘ by Arshad Abbasi (Jan 5). Besides the use
of an enormous amount of coal, the ever-increasing traffic is another contributing factor to air pollution.
There is an increase in the fog intensity and duration in the South Asian region. Air pollution can travel across the state and national boundaries.
Therefore, pollutants produced by one country can have adverse impacts on the environment of other countries and on the health of their
population.
It’s a regional problem, and no one country can tackle it on its own.
South Asian countries, through Saarc, should consider developing and enacting an Asean-like regional agreement to control air pollution, and to reduce environmental (such as fog) and health impacts in the region. Greater participation by member-states is required to work out a regional framework at the earliest to have better understanding and cooperation to control fog density.