Environmental degradation has emerged as one of the most formidable challenges confronting South Asia in the twenty-first century. Across the region, climate variability, declining natural resources, deteriorating air quality, and rapid urbanisation have intensified ecological vulnerabilities and placed unprecedented pressure on public health, economic stability, and sustainable development. Among South Asian nations, Pakistan remains particularly exposed to the adverse consequences of environmental change. Recurrent floods, prolonged heatwaves, erratic monsoon patterns, worsening drought conditions, groundwater depletion, biodiversity loss, and hazardous levels of air pollution have transformed environmental concerns from peripheral policy issues into matters of national urgency.

The devastating floods of recent years, unprecedented temperature extremes, and recurring smog episodes in major urban centres have underscored the magnitude of Pakistan’s environmental crisis. Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab and the country’s second-largest metropolis, frequently ranks among the world’s most polluted cities during the winter season. Seasonal smog, driven by industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, crop residue burning, and unfavourable meteorological conditions, has evolved into a severe public health emergency affecting millions of residents. Simultaneously, the depletion of groundwater resources and the increasing frequency of urban flooding reveal the complex and interconnected nature of Pakistan’s environmental challenges.

The World Bank estimates that climate change could reduce Pakistan’s GDP by up to 18-20 per cent by 2050 under high-emission scenarios.

The World Bank estimates that climate change could reduce Pakistan’s GDP by up to 18-20 per cent by 2050 under high-emission scenarios.

Presented at an International Science Conference hosted by Government Graduate College for Women, Lahore, under the theme Exploring Emerging Trends: Integration with Community Progress, the studies conducted by students from The University of Lahore, named Umair Basharat, Mahnoor Shakeel, and Azeem Mushtaq, represented precisely the calibre of evidence-based scientific inquiry that Pakistan’s environmental governance apparatus requires. Their research, individually........

© Daily Times