Pakistan has launched its first open-source brick kiln database, marking a significant step towards mitigating pollution across the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), a region known for its critical pollution levels.
The initiative, led by the Air-Pollution Asset-Level Detection (APAD) system, aims to revolutionize how air pollution is tracked and controlled, not only in Pakistan but across South Asia. The project is led by Dr. Hassan Aftab Sheikh Director of Nature Based Initiative Ltd.
What are Brick Kilns?
The brick kiln industry in South Asia is vast. These kilns are notorious for emitting harmful particulate matter, contributing to the poor air quality that plagues South Asia, home to nine of the world’s ten most polluted cities.
South Asia region includes some of the world’s most polluted countries — Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan— where air pollution is a long standing problem. Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India have the worst air pollution in the world, with particulate matter levels over 10 times the recommended limit, according to IQAirʼs 2023 World Air Quality Report.
Brick Kiln industry in Pakistan
- Traditional brick production in Pakistan relies on hand-made bricks, primarily baked in Fixed Chimney Bull’s Trench Kilns—a highly polluting technology. This outdated method contributes to air pollution, climate change, and respiratory diseases.
- Pakistan has approximately 20,000 brick kilns, with nearly 50% located in Punjab, according to ICIMOD estimates.
- The country is the third-largest brick producer in South Asia, producing 45 billion bricks annually. The brick kiln sector employs around 4.5 million people, making it a highly profitable industry.
- Many brick kilns are situated near urban areas, significantly contributing to air pollution. Brick kilns have a severe impact on both human and animal labor, while also causing extensive environmental harm.
Why do we need Brick Kiln database?
The new database has already identified over 12,000 brick kilns across the region, known to be major contributors to air pollution.
The Indo-Gangetic Plain, a 1.5 million square kilometer region, has been a hotspot for dangerous PM2.5 levels, which frequently exceed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safety guidelines.
Unlike traditional methods, which often fall short due to the large, dispersed nature of pollution sources, this new system uses satellite data, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence to track pollution in real-time.
The database is publicly accessible through the APAD website and GitHub, allowing researchers, policymakers, and the public to leverage this data for targeted action.
Leveraging advanced technology to address Air Pollution crisis
To address the challenge of tracking and managing air pollution, the APAD system uses a multi-tiered approach that includes:
- Comprehensive Database Creation: The project collects open-source medium- and high-resolution satellite imagery (Sentinel, Landsat) to map pollution sources across the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
- Deep Learning and Data Annotation: Satellite imagery is annotated and classified to identify pollution sources, with deep learning models trained to detect these sources automatically.
- Health and Environmental Impact Assessment: By mapping pollution sources near sensitive areas like schools, hospitals, and residential communities, the project assesses exposure and health risks to guide targeted interventions.
- Policy Enhancement and Public Access: The data is validated for accuracy and made openly available to policymakers, researchers, and the public, fostering collaboration, driving policy change, and promoting investments in cleaner technologies.
Open Access and Cross-border collaboration
One of the most compelling features of this initiative is its open-source nature, designed to encourage collaboration across borders.
By making the database accessible to the public, the project aims to enhance transparency and cooperative efforts to combat air pollution. The data is also expected to drive policy changes and investments in green technology to reduce emissions from key industries like brick kilns.
With this initiative, Pakistan is positioned to lead a regional push towards cleaner air, with the APAD system serving as a model for other countries grappling with similar challenges.
“Our project aims to revolutionize pollution detection in South Asia. With the help of advanced machine learning models, we will provide precise tracking and mapping of pollution hotspots, enabling targeted environmental policies and guiding investments in cleaner, more sustainable technologies,” according to APAD statement.