Abstract:
In rural areas of Pakistan Crop Residue Open Burning is a prevalent agricultural
practice which results in the massive emissions of greenhouse gases, atmospheric
particulate, and trace gas pollutants. With WHO setting stringent air quality standards,
there is an immediate need for accurate city/district-level air pollution data globally.
This study presents an extensive emission inventory of major air pollutant emission
resulting from crop residue burning in Pakistan for years 2010-2021, marking a
significant step towards improved data availability. To achieve the accurate spatial
distribution of emissions, the study combined district level crop production data with
MODIS Active fire data at high temporal and spatial resolution (1-day temporal,1 Km
spatial). The fire events were specifically identified over croplands of Pakistan using
land cover data, provided by European Space Agency/Climate Change Initiative
(ESA/CCI), which is available at 300 m spatial resolution. This study has incorporated
the most updated emission factor values for considered pollutants. The outcome of this
research indicates that the amount of average annual crop residue generated in Pakistan
is 75 Tg, out of which 20 Tg is burned on fields. As a result of this burning, the
emissions of carbon monoxide have increased from 1.6 Tg in 2010 to 2.1Tg in 2021,
accompanied by the average annual increase rate of 2.8%. The corresponding rate for
other considered pollutants is found to be 3.1% (CO2), 4.2%(CH4), 2.8% (NMVOCS),
3.5%(N2O), 5.4%(NH3), 3.8%(SO2), 3.1%(NOX), 3.6% (PM 2.5), 3.3% (PM 10),
4.2%(OC), and 3.5%(BC). The assessment of the magnitude and distribution of
pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from crop residue burning is crucial for
managing overall air quality of an area. Hence, this study contributes directly to the
global efforts to combat climate change and mitigating air pollution.
