India calls for regional alliance in South Asia to address air pollution

People and vehicles are seen on a road amidst the morning smog in New Delhi, India, November 8, 2023. — Reuters

India has called for collaboration and regional cooperation in South Asia to tackle the deteriorating air pollution dilemma after Pakistan’s Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz floated the idea of engaging in diplomatic efforts with India on Wednesday.

Following the chief minister’s announcement, India’s Minister of State for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh highlighted the importance of regional alliance to deal with air pollution, specifically in light of cities like Lahore and New Delhi continuing to record dangerous air quality levels, reported The Citizenry.

The Narendra Modi-ruled country put forward calls for reviving the SAARC Malé Declaration on Control and Prevention of Air Pollution as it submitted its updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) at the UN biodiversity conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia.

During a prominent side event at the conference in the Blue Zone, which is an area designated for negotiations and dialogues between member countries and accredited observers, Singh said: “Since climate change does not recognise any national or political boundaries, we need an inclusive and collective approach that involves all governments.”

It is important to know that India became the second SAARC country, after Afghanistan, to submit its updated NBSAP.

The plan includes achievements such as “planting 98 million trees” and “efforts to conserve and restore India’s coastline”. Meanwhile, China and other Asian countries submitted their updated plans ahead of COP16.

Pakistan’s representation was limited to a single official delegate, Naeem Ashraf Raja, who is the director of the Biodiversity Programme at the Ministry of Climate Change. Moreover, the country did not submit its updated biodiversity plans.

Additionally, the Indian minister stressed that biodiversity conservation “must be integrated into broader, environmental and developmental strategies to combat climate change, reduce land degradation and promote sustainable livelihood”.

Parallel to this, the air quality crisis has already prompted action in Pakistan, where Maryam announced plans for engagement with neighbouring India.

At an event recently, she said: “Winds don’t recognise borders.”

The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) declared smog a calamity under Section 3 of the Punjab Calamities Act, 1958, earlier this week.

Recognised as the world’s critical event for biodiversity conservation, the CBD COP16 continues in Cali until November 1. It aims to protect ecosystems and strengthen global environmental policies. 

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