Project Report: Public Perception Survey Study on Air Quality Issues in Lahore, Pakistan

 

Introduction

Air pollution is the greatest environmental risk to human health worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that every year around 7 million deaths are due to exposure to both outdoor and household air pollution. Air pollution in Pakistan is a serious problem and has become an increasing public health hazard. High smog and haze levels are quite common during the winter season often causing issues or illnesses like pneumonia, asthma attacks, and cold.

Smog comprises ground-level ozone that inhibits plant growth and causes damage to crops and vegetables. We carried out a survey on Air Quality (AQ) in Lahore to assess the difference in public perception of air pollution and their level of environmental awareness. About 67% of respondents viewed air pollution as a problem. More than 95% recognized the link between air pollution and human health and were affected in some way due to the poor air quality in Lahore. About 27% were unaware of any government action to mitigate the situation of air pollution while 75% agreed that improving the environment is the duty of every citizen. The results show that Lahore’s citizens are concerned about air pollution problems and they agree that concrete measures should be undertaken to improve air quality. The innovative aspects of this survey were the study of participants ' perceptions of AQ issues and the results of the survey may influence local authorities to impose stricter regulations and to develop more effective programs involving citizens.

Study Area & Sampling Strategy

The survey was carried out in the city of Lahore (31° 34' 55.3620'' N and 74° 19' 45.7536'' E). Lahore is the capital of the province of Punjab and has a composite monsoon climate. Lahore is the biggest city in Punjab in terms of population. It has more than 11 million inhabitants and covers 1772 km². Our survey was aimed at all age groups interested in air quality issues. The survey was conducted online between October and December 2018 and 172 responses were recorded. More participants with a college-level education or higher (41.3%)  took the survey than participants with a lower-level education. The survey was conducted in English but an  Urdu version will be incorporated to reach a wider audience in the future.

Questionnaire

The AQ information questionnaire was designed as a “tool” for collecting and recording information and determining the basic attitudes/opinions of the public on-air quality-related issues. It consisted of 22 questions with clear instructions and the space for answers. It took about 5 to 10 minutes to answer all the questions.

Survey Results

The survey results are as follows:

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Recommendations by EPD

In order to minimize the impact of air pollution, the following measures are advised for the public by the environmental protection department:

·         Remain indoors as much as possible

·         Limit driving cars, scooters, and other motorized vehicles

·         Keep rooms inside homes clean and prevent additional sources of indoor air pollution

·         Use masks if required for further protection

·        Seek medical advice in case of any breathlessness, giddiness, chest pain, chest constriction irritation in the eyes

Conclusion

An innovative aspect of this survey was the exploration of participants' perceptions of AQ-related issues. The survey shows that many people in Lahore feel that air pollution has a  negative effect on human health and that vehicles cause the majority of air pollution in the city followed by emissions from industry and burning of waste. About 65 percent of survey participants were unaware of the air quality in Lahore. This indicates that the level of awareness of AQ-related issues is quite low and the authorities have no awareness or implementation strategies. 

Most people believed that respiratory diseases are a major risk to health due to air pollution. The study shows that the public supports the idea of starting recycling programs throughout the city in order to improve the air quality. More people were willing to purchase a low-cost air quality monitoring device and wanted to learn more about AQ in general. . The majority of participants (87%) expressed their willingness to contribute to the improvement of AQ in Lahore.

However, organizing participation at the community level to improve AQ remains a major challenge. While the government makes some efforts to inform citizens, the majority of the public is unaware of developments at the policy level and does not feel that there is sufficient information. In order to mitigate this, more efforts should be made by the EPD to share information and raise awareness.

The survey achieved its purpose in quantifying the participant's knowledge of air pollution and its effect on health in Lahore. Initiatives such as this public perception surveys are an important tool in gauging citizens' understanding of issues. However, they do much more than that. While providing data, they also help raise awareness and generate interest within the community, often leading to action plans that prove effective in air pollution mitigation.