Islamabad, September.01 (INP) -- Increasing levels of emissions from gasoline, industrial, domestic or other sources are superbly harming the air quality in Islamabad. Quick and smart actions are necessary to cope with the situation, opined Romina Khurshid Alam, the Coordinator to Prime Minister on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC & EC).

She said, “Currently, the air quality of Islamabad is higher than interim WHO permissible limits, and the problem is continuously getting worst. So, MoCC & EC had proposed to ICT administration a unique AI based solution to improve air quality of the city to make it model environmentally-sustainable and climate-smart city of the world”.

She said that various policies and initiatives such as the electric bus service, climate change fund (CCF), Margalla Hills Fund (MHF) and Carbon Credit Programme (CCP) have been already introduced for ICT to enhance climate resilience and environmental sustainability of Islamabad and its adjacent areas. Romina Khurshid said, “The recently launched electric bus service in ICT is a significant step towards addressing environmental concerns. These buses emit no pollutants, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution compared to traditional diesel-powered buses”.

Appreciating the said initiatives, she shared that the proposed solution under the transition to green energy involving promotion and adoption of electric vehicles as they 2.5 times cleaner in terms of lifecycle emissions than diesel buses. She stressed the promotion of urban forestry would not only enhance air quality in the capital city but also reduces the associated health risks and attracts more international tourists as well.

Ms. Alam lauded the initiatives launched by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration for transiting to renewable energy and vulnerability of the capital city to climate change impacts. She emphasised the importance of collective efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change being faced by the capital city.

She said, “The said measures are setting a pioneering example in climate action, promising a greener and more sustainable future for the residents of the capital city and the adjoining areas. She said the CCF, the first of its kind project, will contribute to address environmental concerns in ICT region”.

Referring to CCP as part of the climate change initiative, Romina Khurshid said under this project 4 to 5 million trees would be planted over 2000-10,000 kanals all over the capital city and the allocation of 1.5 per cent of revenue generated from recreational spots in Margalla hills under MHF would be ensured to protect and conserve natural resources of the Margalla Hills National Park.

Romina Khurshid Alam urged the administration of other cities to follow Islamabad’s model for climate action in the cities, prioritising use of renewable energy, adoption of electric vehicles, promotion of urban forestry and climate-resilient construction for achieving environmental-sustainability goals in the cities across the country.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)