• The World Bank’s 2025 report, A Breath of Change, highlights that nearly one billion people in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and Himalayan Foothills (IGP-HF) breathe the world’s most polluted air, necessitating urgent transboundary cooperation.

World bank’s A Breath of Change Report:

• “A Breath of Change” is a strategic solutions book that moves beyond diagnosing air pollution to providing a practical, multi-sectoral roadmap for the IGP-HF airshed, covering 13 jurisdictions across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.
• It frames solutions around the “4Is” framework: Information, Incentives, Institutions, and Infrastructure.

Key Trends & Data

• Health Impact: Air pollution causes approximately one million premature deaths annually in the IGP-HF region.
• Economic Cost: The regional economic damage from pollution is estimated at 10% of GDP annually, due to lost productivity and healthcare costs.
• Life Expectancy: Exposure to PM₂.₅ reduces average life expectancy in the region by more than three years.
• Hazardous Exposure: 81% of public-school students in the region are exposed to hazardous levels of PM₂.₅ (above 35 µg/m³).
• Pollution Origin: In many jurisdictions, over 50% of ambient PM₂.₅ originates from outside local administrative boundaries.
• Regional Dominance: The IGP-HF region records the highest levels of air pollution globally, with PM₂.₅ levels 8 to 20 times the WHO guideline.
• Target Goal: The “35 by 35” target aligns with the WHO’s first interim target for cleaner air.
• Transboundary Flow: In Nepal’s Terai region, an estimated 68% of air pollution originates from other countries.

Reasons for Transboundary Pollution

• Geography & Topography: The flat plains are surrounded by the Himalayas, which trap pollutants and lead to frequent smog episodes, especially during winter inversions.
• E.g. Delhi’s unique location makes it a sink for pollutants carried from upwind states like Punjab and Haryana.
• Wind Patterns: North-westerly winds during winter carry particulate matter across national borders.
• E.g. Pollution from Pakistan’s Punjab can account for up to 30% of air pollution in Indian Punjab.
• Secondary Particle Formation: Precursor gases (such as SO2SO_2SO2​ and ammonia) travel long distances and react in the atmosphere to form fine particles far from their source.
• E.g. Coal-fired power plants in one region emit sulfur dioxide that forms secondary PM₂.₅, affecting neighboring jurisdictions.
• Agricultural Practices: Seasonal crop residue burning creates massive smoke plumes that travel across states.
• E.g. Post-harvest fires in India and Pakistan create a seasonal crisis, blanketing the entire IGP-HF region in haze.
• Industrial Clusters: High-stack industries such as thermal power plants release emissions that disperse across vast areas.
• E.g. Clustered MSMEs in peri-urban areas like Kanpur and Dhaka cause intense local exposure that drifts across city limits.

Initiatives Taken So Far

• Kathmandu Roadmap (2022): Established a regional framework for science-policy dialogue and shared air quality goals.
• Thimphu Outcome (2024): Endorsed the aspirational “35 by 35” target and emphasized harmonized monitoring and financing.
• Malé Declaration: A long-standing (non-binding) regional platform for joint monitoring and capacity building.
• India’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): A flagship domestic program targeting PM₁₀ reductions in over 130 cities.
• Market-Based Pilots: Gujarat’s world-first particulate matter emissions trading system (ETS) in Surat.

Challenges Associated

• Institutional Fragmentation: Mandates are often split between environmental, transport, and agricultural ministries, leading to siloed action.
• E.g. In Pakistan, overlapping duties between environmental and industrial ministries delay technology transitions.
• Funding Gaps: Regional mechanisms lack sustained, long-term financing and often rely on fluctuating donor support.
• E.g. Progress on the Malé Declaration slowed significantly after external funding from SIDA ended.
• Weak Enforcement: While standards exist, agencies often lack the technical staff and resources to penalize non-compliance.
• E.g. In India, half of the State Pollution Control Boards are reportedly understaffed.
• Data Gaps: Monitoring networks are concentrated in cities, leaving rural areas “blind” to pollution levels.
• E.g. Pakistan lacks a functional, integrated national air quality monitoring network.
• Economic Barriers: High upfront costs deter small-scale actors (MSMEs and farmers) from adopting cleaner technologies.
• E.g. The cost of retrofitting heavy-duty vehicles in India can exceed 180% of average per capita income.

Recommended Solutions (The 4Is):

1. Information:

• Expand real-time monitoring networks and use satellite-based tracking (GeoAI) to identify pollution hotspots such as brick kilns.

2. Incentives:

• Reform fossil fuel and fertilizer subsidies, redirecting funds toward clean technologies like electric vehicles and Happy Seeders.

3. Institutions:

• Clarify legal responsibilities through dedicated Clean Air Acts and establish a permanent regional secretariat for coordination.

4. Infrastructure:

• Invest in regional electricity grids, EV charging networks, and centralized common industrial boilers to reduce emissions at scale.

Market Instruments:

• Scale up Emissions Trading Systems (ETS) and pollution taxes (such as Nepal’s Green Tax) to mobilize private capital.

Conclusion:

• The air pollution crisis in the Indo-Gangetic Plains is a shared regional challenge beyond the capacity of any single nation. Committing to the “35 by 35” goal and institutionalizing transboundary cooperation can turn a public health emergency into resilient, low-carbon growth. What is needed is political courage to move from diagnosis to delivery and ensure a true “breath of change” for nearly one billion people.