How collaborative action on smog could cast new light on India-Pakistan relations

The document proposes using the smog crisis in South Asia as a diplomatic opening for India and Pakistan to collaborate on climate action. The authors suggest four pathways: joint research between academic and government institutions, the formation of regional accords and forums, data-sharing on pollution sources, and the exchange of technologies such as Happy Seeder and cloud-seeding to address stubble burning and air quality.

• The smog crisis in South Asia, driven by stubble-burning, vehicular emissions, and industrial emissions, has created a health emergency affecting populations in both India and Pakistan, particularly in cities like Delhi and Lahore.
• The authors propose four specific mechanisms to enable climate diplomacy between India and Pakistan: collaborative research through partnerships between institutions like the Council on Energy, Environment & Water and the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency; the creation of regional accords or an 'Indo-Pak Climate Peace Treaty'; the sharing of pollution and health data to reduce mistrust; and the mutual exchange of technology.
• Specific technological exchanges could include India sharing Happy Seeder and cloud-seeding technology to combat smog, while Pakistan shares mechanized management of rice crop residue technology.

APA

Shujat, A. K. M. H. D. S. H. (2024). How collaborative action on smog could cast new light on India-Pakistan relations. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/smog-india-pakistan-collaboration/

Chicago

Shujat, Anurit Kanti, Muhammad Hassan Dajana, Syeda Hamna. How collaborative action on smog could cast new light on India-Pakistan relations. World Economic Forum, 2024. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/smog-india-pakistan-collaboration/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Shujat |first1=Anurit Kanti, Muhammad Hassan Dajana, Syeda Hamna |title=How collaborative action on smog could cast new light on India-Pakistan relations |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=29 January 2024 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/smog-india-pakistan-collaboration/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{shujat2024how, author = {Shujat, Anurit Kanti, Muhammad Hassan Dajana, Syeda Hamna}, title = {{How collaborative action on smog could cast new light on India-Pakistan relations}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/smog-india-pakistan-collaboration/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }