Communities of Care for Air Pollution Policies in Pakistan: An Integrated Approach to Public Engagement and Policy Implementation

Abstract

This commentary explores the critical issue of air pollution policies and public engagement in Pakistan, a nation consistently ranked among the world’s most polluted. Prolonged exposure to diverse pollution sources leads to severe health consequences, making public education and engagement pivotal for successful environmental policy implementation. By using the National Clean Air Policy (NCAP) as a case, we identified key barriers to public engagement in Pakistan and emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts through an integrated approach among civil society organizations (CSOs), news media, research institutions, and the public. In addition, we introduced the term communities of care to encourage more inclusive, participatory policy making approaches aimed at addressing air pollution crisis in the country. Finally, we argue that the elitist model of policy making, which historically dominated, should give way to a more participatory and inclusive approach to enhance policy implementation.