Curbing smog with market-based solutions

Pakistan consistently ranks among the top three most polluted countries globally, primarily due to high levels of particulate matter from vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, and the widespread practice of crop residue burning. Air pollution continues to escalate unchecked, further deteriorating public health. The issue is particularly pronounced in winter, when smog forms from a combination of fog and smoke, worsened by temperature inversions and low wind speeds. During October and November, large-scale rice stubble burning (setting crop harvesting residues on fire by farmers to clear and prepare their fields for the next crop) contributes to pushing the Air Quality Index several times higher than the World Health Organisation’s recommended limit.