WWF-Pakistan’s Faisalabad Project Office, organized an international workshop titled “Bridging Local Sensor Mesh to National Policy: Scaling Evidence-Based Air Quality Governance across Punjab” under the EPIC Air Quality Project at Serena Hotel, Faisalabad, in collaboration with Mr. Sohail Ali Naqvi, Director Freshwater Programme, WWF-Pakistan. The Department of Environmental Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF) participated in the workshop, which aimed to translate hyper local air quality data into actionable environmental policy.

The workshop presented eleven months of PM2.5 monitoring data collected across Faisalabad from November 2025 to September 2026 through a low-cost sensor network. Experts discussed local sources of particulate pollution including crop residue burning, brick kilns, industrial boilers and vehicular emissions, alongside the public health burden of smog, the role of evidence-based regulation, and the need for sustained academia–industry–government collaboration.

Commissioner Faisalabad Dr. Imran Hamid Sheikh attended as chief guest and emphasized coordinated district-level action on air quality. Deputy Director Environmental Protection Agency Faisalabad Dr. Tahir Abbas Sial highlighted regulatory enforcement and industrial self-monitoring, while representatives of the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) stressed industry’s role in emission reduction. Prof. Dr. Shafaqat Ali underscored the importance of embedding air quality research within university curricula and student research, noting that academic institutions must sustain the evidence base beyond individual project cycles.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Rauf-i-Azam delivered the closing remarks, emphasizing the protection of public health and calling for a standing forum of district administration, industry and universities to review the city’s air quality data on a regular basis. He appreciated WWF-Pakistan’s environmental monitoring and water replenishment initiatives, including interventions on the GCUF campus.

The participation reflects Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Rauf-i-Azam’s vision of promoting research-led education, institutional partnerships and sustainable development.